Four Brothers, Two Sisters
by Magie Fox
Summary: This is a re-vamp of the SAME story I had on here before. Colab. w. LilyLovegood. Mostly a funny and fun drama packed version of the movie that we plan to continue after the movie "ends". I hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoy the movie. BM OC JM OC
1. Chapter 1

**Four Brothers Two Sisters**

**Naomi's PoV-**

_'Evelyn dead?_' I thought to myself as I sat in shock on the edge of my bed, _'No. No way; it can't be true.'_ That was denial thinking for me, but I know Lilly wouldn't lie to me; at least about something this serious.

Evelyn was like a mother to my sister and I, not only to us but she _was_ the boys' mother, _'How could she be dead? Who would do this to her?_' She was a kind, harmless, old lady, granted she had a way of being a little unconventional and blunt at times but nonetheless she was harmless.

"What's going to happen now?" I voiced the sentence out loud, knowing that I wouldn't get an answer because no one was there to answer me. I instantly thought of Jack; then Bobby, Angel and Jerry. How where the boys taking it? She was their mother… Jack would understandably be devastated then let it sink in and _then_ get pissed off, and Jerry was probably dealing with all the loose ends and keeping his grief to himself. It was Bobby and Angel that worried me. They were extremely hotheaded and prone to do something drastic.

I wonder if Bobby even knows. Jerry has repeatedly told me that it is 'extremely difficult' to track Bobby Mercer down.

I stood up from my bed and paced my room; denial was starting to wear off and the reality of it all was sinking in, _'Lilly has to be taking this hard, she was the one living with Evelyn…'_

This whole thing seemed a little surreal; I mean just earlier today, on my way to work, I thought about stopping in to see Evelyn. I owed her an occasional visit after all of the warm meals she had provided me with, but I didn't. I didn't visit her, I had to go to work, and now I couldn't ever again. I was so stupid for not going to see her!

Jack… His name rang through my head again. The youngest and the most sensitive of the four. If he were to come back to this town I would have wanted it to be for a good reason, or possibly for me; not for his mother's funeral.

I looked at my cell phone still clutched in my hand and made one last round around my room before flipping it open and opening the contact list. I scrolled down… Johnny…No, he wouldn't be any help. Pap? No, he was probably sleeping… It was at this point that I realized that the only friends that I had were the Mercer boys and my sister…

I didn't have Jack's number; the one that I did have would have only called Lilly back… I haven't had _HIS_ number for three years. So I left his outdated contact information in my outdated phone. I just couldn't bring myself to delete his name from it.

Bobby… Well I think he purposely didn't have a cell phone so that he could continue to be 'Mr. Untraceable.'

Angel was probably out fucking some random girl…

So I was left with good old reliable Jerry...

I highlighted his name in my phone and hesitated only a fraction of a second before pressing the green call button. It rang three times before he answered it.

"Hello?"

"Jerry?" I tried to keep the emotion out of my voice, but I could feel the tears well up in my eyes, "Hey, it's Naomi-"

"I know, you say it like you never call…" Jerry chuckled, attempting to lighten the mood.

"Sorry, if I am bothering you, I know it is late and you probably don't want any calls but I wanted to see how you were doing…" My words came out fast, almost as one sentence. I tried to pace myself but I was upset.

Jerry chuckled again, "It's alright, I just got off the phone with Lilly so I was awake." He paused a moment before continuing, "I am fine. Well as best as I can be; all things considered."

"Yeah, you have my condolences. I loved your mother very much."

"Yeah I know Naomi, so when are you going to ask about him?" Jerry knew me a little too well, but I played coy.

"What-who do you mean?" I knew who he meant but I didn't want to admit it.

"Girl, don't play… Jackie! I know you are dying to know…"

"Well… I mean, yeah, I worry about him…" That was the closest thing to a confession that Jerry was getting.

"Well, I've talked to him-"

"Really?" I interrupted sounding a little too eager for information.

Jerry laughed on his end, "Yeah, really. He is coming back for Ma's funeral-"

"Really?" I interrupted again, it came out in a squeak, only this time I didn't care if I sounded desperate.

"If you don't stop interrupting me I will hang up." Jerry threatened.

I knew he wouldn't but I apologized anyway, "Sorry, Jerry, it's just been three years since I've heard anything from him."

"I know, but Jackie," Jerry sighed, "well he is just Jack." Jerry paused again, "He's young, he needs to get his priorities figured out…"  
"Well, I'll take your word for it, Jerry, you seem to have things in order."

"Hardly…" Jerry's tone had changed.

"Listen, I know things have been pretty rough- but look at what you have; a wife, who loves you, two beautiful daughters, who also love you. Lilly; who would do anything for you, and me; who loves you when I have just the proper amount of Nicotine in my system." We both laughed.

"Thanks, Naomi." Jerry said with sarcasm as his laugh came to an end.

"No problem, Jerry." I smiled into the phone and sighed, "Listen, Jerry, thanks for the info and I will help with anything that you need…"

"I know…" Jerry interrupted this time.

"But I am going to get off the phone and try to get some sleep…"

"Lord knows we all need it!" Jerry's voice sounded tired and the whole grieving process just begun and it was far from being over.

"Well, goodnight, Jerry and I will see you tomorrow…" I sighed, "Love ya' Jer'."

"Right back at you kid. Goodnight."

I smiled before flipping the phone shut. I sighed as I looked around my room, it was starting to annoy me; too cluttered and cramped.

I flopped down on my bed flat on my back. I don't know how long I started at the ceiling before rolling onto my side and reached under my bed. I felt around blindly for a minute before I found what I was looking for; a shoe box.

It was one of Jackie's old shoe boxes. I set it down on the bed beside me before lifting the dilapidated lid. Inside were things that I haven't looked at in years. I singled out one of Jack's old guitar picks; it was my favorite colour so he gave it to me. I played with it between my fingers before tossing it back into the box.

I dug around the box again, moving aside a folded poster for one Jack's gigs and an anniversary card. It was for Jack and my 'one year' band anniversary. I had nearly forgotten about it…

A smile crept to my lips as I opened the card. A piece of paper fell out and onto my comforter. The card was sweet but I mainly kept it to keep the piece of paper safe.

I put the card down and gingerly picked up the paper and unfolded it. This paper was precious to me; it was given to me in the card. On the paper scrawled in his almost unreadable chicken scratch was a song. A song for me. It was special, though I never heard it sung. Jackie kept promising to sing it to me but left before he did.

And then I was reminded why I was angry with him. He left. Without saying goodbye to follow some wild dream of becoming a rock star, granted at one time that was both of our dreams. I had to remind myself that I was holding my song before I crumpled it out of rage. I put the paper back into its protective card and the card back into the box, putting the lid back on.

The boy broke my heart and I hated him for it but I hated myself more for letting it happen. Jack and I never really came out and said that we were a couple but we did the couple things. Cards, gifts, make-out sessions, you name it; we did it, except for sex, we almost had the night before he left but he had made the decision not to. Everything was fine until he was tired of his dreams staying dreams and wanted them a reality.

I wished he had given me a hint that he was leaving but I got nothing, just a post-it note on my pillow. So I waited. I am still waiting for him to come home.

I put the box on the floor, sighed, and rolled over grabbing my pillow. I pulled it close to me and began to force myself to sleep with the thoughts of Jack and Evelyn in my head.


	2. Chapter 2

**Naomi's PoV-**

Lilly was having one of her bad dreams again, I sighed. I really couldn't tell you how many times she had these dreams but they were usually about one of two things; Bobby Mercer or Robbie.

I reached over, "Lilly?" I put my hand on her shoulder and gave her a light shake, "Lilly? Wake up…"

Her eyes fluttered open and she wanted to know what was wrong. Typical Lilly, even though she was going through a lot at this point she still had time to make sure that I was alright.

"You were crying and said Bobby's name." I told her the truth, there was no reason to lie to her, she was my sister, "What were you dreaming about?"

She looked a little conflicted before she started talking but regardless she told me, "It was just Bobby was married to someone and he brought her to the funeral that's all. I'm not going to go; I can't."

I looked at her, letting her words sink in. Her fears were subconsciously coming through to her dreams but she would never realize it. I nodded, "Okay… but if you change your mind I'll be there for you, besides you don't even know if he will be there."

I stood up and headed towards the door, grabbing one of my sweaters off of a chair before opening the door to the bedroom but her voice stopped me:

"Listen just save me a seat if I decide to show up okay?"

I looked back at her and nodded, then started down the stairs again. When I reached the bottom I stopped to look around the entryway, my mind flashed to a memory of happier times.

My memory was of a Sunday, when Lilly and I were over for dinner, when we were still kids. Our sneakers were side by side with Bobby, Jerry, Angel and Jack's. I remembered that day Evelyn was sitting in the living room; knitting. Angel and Jerry were wrestling on the living room rug.

She didn't tell them to stop; she only looked up once to tell them to 'play fair'.

Jack ran through the back door followed closely by a disgruntled Bobby. Jack ran into the kitchen and around the table, Bobby followed and cornered him, each brother dancing along the kitchen table. Jack finally made a move and was able to escape from Bobby's out reached hand and head through the living room. Bobby cursed and Evelyn scolded him for it, but he still chased Jack through the living room.

Bobby finally got the better of Jackie in the entryway and pushed him into the coat rack making him cry. Even at that age Bobby called Jack a fairy for crying.

Evelyn put her knitting down and came into the entryway, "Bobby, don't call Jack that…" She was correcting him but it was obvious that she wasn't too angry with him. She helped Jack out of the quicksand of coats, his face was tear streaked and his eyes were red, "Its ok, Jack. Bobby is sorry…"

Jack glared at Bobby from behind Evelyn's hip. Even though he is tall now, he wasn't always, at the time of my memory Bobby was taller than him, "No, he isn't…" Jack pouted, "He wasn't the last forty-gazillion times either!"

My memory of that day was so vivid that it felt as if I was standing in it. I felt the warmth and care of Evelyn in the house, I hadn't felt it the two day's time that I was here since her death.

I shook my head to rid myself of the memories. I didn't need to show up at the funeral in hysterics.

I walked to my car, almost slipping on the ice on the sidewalk in front of the house. It was so fucking cold outside, I hated Detroit weather. My fingers were already numb, I really should stop cutting the fingertips off of my gloves, but it was an old habit Jack helped me form. I finally got my key in the door and unlocked my car.

I turned the car on and blew into my hands to try and warm them up; I gave one good friction filled rub before placing my hands on the ice cold steering wheel. The heater in my car was broke and the radio only played when it wanted to so I drove to Jerry's in utter silence.

It was about a thirty minute drive and the longest thirty minutes that I have ever experienced. When I finally pulled up to Jerry's home I sighed heavily before shutting the car off and pushing open the driver's side door. Again I nearly slipped; the ice had it in for me today.

I knocked lightly on the front door. I waited a couple of second before knocking again.

"You know you are practically family, you don't have to knock."

His voice made me jump, and I spun around quickly. There he was, almost as quickly as he left there he was before me! "JACK!" My feet started moving towards him before my brain could tell them to stop.

Before I knew it I was sprinting full force towards him, "Jack!" I plowed into him and we both toppled over into a snow bank, "Oh my god! I can't believe-" I stopped.

Wait…

I was…

Mad at him…

Why the hell…

Am…

I excited…

To see him?

"You asshole!" I brought my fist down into his chest and quickly pushed myself off of him.

The look on Jack's face was priceless, it was confused as hell. I got a slight feeling of self gratification. He raised himself up onto his elbows, "Hi, Naomi, nice to see you too."

I shot him a glare over my shoulder, "I fall back on my previous statement."

He got up from the snow bank and started to dust himself off, "So, how are you?"

'_How are you?'_ I fumed inside my head, _'How are you? What manner of douchebaggery is this? After three years, that is all he has to say?'_ I didn't reply to him, I just kept walking back to the front door.

"Oh, that's good. I am glad to hear that," Jack continued the conversation as if I had answered him, "Me? Ah- that's a long story, I'll save it for another time…"

'_Oh like when you come back again in another three years?'_ I screamed inside my head.

"Course if you want to hear it, all you have to do is ask…" He was teasing me. He knew that I was ignoring him and he was egging me on purpose, knowing that if he kept doing it he would get me to talk, but I wouldn't give in, "How's Lilly, still hot as hell?"

I stopped in mid-step. _'Oh that's it…' _I spun on my heel and began to walk towards him. Jackie had a triumphant look on his face.

I raised my fist and opened my mouth, but Jerry's voice came out, "Hey! Are you two coming in or am I taking two oversized popsicles to momma's funeral?" My mouth snapped shut and my fist slowly lowered, Jack didn't know how lucky he was.

I turned around again and went inside the house. Jack soon followed. Jerry's house was warm and I quickly got feeling back to my fingers. I took my jacket off and slumped it over a chair, "So Jer, where's the girls?"

"Oh, their momma's still fussing over their hair." Jerry said this as he made his way to the bottom of the stairs, "Camille, we are going to be late!"

"I'm hurrying!" Camille's voice was distant and had a slight echo, "Amelia, won't hold still!"

Jerry sighed then looked at Jack and me apologetically, "I'm sorry, I'm just going to help Camille-"

"No, problem Jerry…" I said as I sat down on the couch. I looked to either side of me and realized that at one end of the couch was a pillow and at the other end of me was a blanket that had been pushed down to the point of disappearing near the arm of the couch. Across the living room from me were an old guitar case and a duffle bag. It dawned on me at that point that I was sitting on Jack's make shift bed.

Even though the couch was big I highly doubted that it was long enough for Jack to fully stretch out on.

"You know, I really wanted to know how you are doing…" It was Jack's pitiful attempt at making conversation.

My eyes locked onto his, I glared, and then turned my head away from him. If I looked at him I would give in, if I looked into that face that I so longingly missed I would talk, I wasn't ready to talk… I didn't want to talk…I wanted to yell, I wanted to scream at him and make him sorry for leaving me!

"Oh, come on, Naomi…" Attempt number two, "Don't be like this…You know that you missed me…"

My head snapped back towards him, _'He is unbelievable! He is acting more and more like Bobby!'_ Even though he hadn't seen Bobby since Bobby left he still seemed to be picking up his traits. I gave Jack the 'Death Glare' and tore my eyes away from him, turning my head again.

"Naomi, I had things…" Strike three Jackie-poo! "I had to handle them…"

I crossed my arms over my chest, not even looking at him this time… I crossed my left leg over my right and let my left bounce in frustration.

Jack walked over and plopped himself on the couch next to me, he stared at me. I could feel his line of sight searing into the back of my skull.

'_Ignore it.'_ I thought to myself, _'Just ignore him, he is only doing it because he knows! He knows you will give in if you look at him for too long, it has been that way since you were kids!'_

I tried, I did. I lasted all of five minutes. Slowly I turned my head to look at him; he had that 'forgive me' look on his face. I was seconds, no, milliseconds away from forgiving him but Jerry saved me.

Jerry jogged down the stairs quickly followed by his wife and two daughters. Jerry hit the bottom of the stairs and grabbed his coat, swinging it on, "Are you ready?"

I quickly jumped up from the couch, trying to get the look Jack had given me out of my head, "Yeah, Jerry lets go."

Jack growled and got up, "Damn it, Jerry…"

"What?" Jerry was honestly confused.

"Nothing, forget about it." Jack jerked on his wool coat.

I tried to keep myself from smiling, _'He wants me to forgive him.'_

I followed Jerry's silver Volvo to the graveyard. I readjusted and bundled tighter before exiting my refrigerator like car. The wind was blowing pretty heard and I pulled the top of my coat tighter around me. I walked over to Jerry and his crew and followed them down to the seating area. I looked at my watch, there was another ten minutes before the service was supposed to start, but there were already a bunch of people in seats.

As I sat there next to Camille and as the time dwindled more and more; seats filled. I was starting to think that neither Bobby or Lilly was going to show up but I was proven wrong when I saw a large, nearly boat sized vehicle pull up and park. And none other than Bobby fucking Mercer got out of the car. My jaw dropped. I thought my expression was bad until my eyes darted to Jack, who wore a similar expression and then to Jerry, who looked as if Jesus Christ had just walked onto the premises.

I was proven wrong again when Evelyn's minivan pulled up and parked. Bobby walked in front of the front of the van and stopped in the center. His brothers and I continued to watch, even from the distance that I was I could see a slight change in Bobby's expression, I pegged it as shock.

Camille's arm flew up next to me and she flagged Lilly down. Lilly made her way over and sat next to me and Bobby sat in between Jack and Jerry. I looked over at Lilly and she had an indifferent look on her face, which was a red flag for me and I knew that she was upset. Bobby's presence was enough to upset her. Shortly after that the funeral started and I could go back to grieving and glaring at Jack with an additional recipient of the glare; Bobby.

I did well hating both of them until Jackie got up to do his speech. He started telling the story about his toothbrush and I nearly started crying. That was when Jackie gained my forgiveness, at least for the time being.

Bobby got up to console his brother. He was still on my shit list but the glares were directed at him had lightened in severity. Jack came back to his seat and I moved over a couple to sit next to him. His hand was resting on his thigh and I eyed it for a minute, while Bobby talked. Then I timidly reached over and took his hand in mine. I looked at his face when I did it, trying to see through the tears and at what emotion, other than the obvious, that he was feeling.

The hand holding had always been a thing Jack and I did. It was how we reassured each other with out words and no one else really understood it, except for maybe Lilly.

The service ended and Lilly and I bolted. It wasn't intentional, but Lilly was upset and wanted to go. I totally understood. In the car ride to Jerry's I attempted a conversation but it was sort lived.

Jerry's house was still empty when we got there. So we unlocked the door and started rearranging things and trying to get everything finished for the after-funeral get together. We weren't left alone long. Camille, Jerry and the kids showed up about five minutes later.

Lilly and the girls went outside and I stayed in to continue helping out.

At one point in time during the after-funeral-get-together I looked out of Jerry's sliding glass door and saw Lieutenant Green, his partner; Fowler, Bobby, Jack and Lilly talking in a circle.

Their conversation didn't seem to be taking a friendly approach and was cut off quickly when Bobby, Jackie, and Lilly turned around and headed for the house. Green and Fowler followed.

When Lilly was securely inside I made my way over to her and pulled her aside, "Hey Lilly, you alright? I saw what went down…"

She shook her head at me before saying, "Nothing he didn't even say 'Hi' to me. He's the one who left me, and what he did think that I would be here just pining for him to come home. And another thi…." She stopped and looked over my shoulder.

I drew my eyebrows together in confusion and then turned my head so that I could see who she was looking at out of my peripheral vision.

"Lilly, do you want to go home? I can take you home." I waved my hand in front of her face to get her attention.

Her head snapped back to me and I knew that my attempt to get her attention had worked. Lilly looked at me for a second before nodding; in agreement with my offer.

Out of habit; I led her to Evelyn's van, even though I had my own car. As I drove I kept looking at her, to judge her emotional state but she was like reading a statue. Her facial expression; carved in marble.

I sighed when we made it back to the house, and lead her inside and up the stairs to her room, helping her to her bed, "Lilly, I'm going to go back to Jerry's okay? I'll be back with the boys. I'll see you then, okay?"

She looked at me with a distant expression but nodded regardless. I gave her a quick smile before shutting her bedroom door. I went down the stairs and stopped in the entryway. I suddenly remembered the memory I had earlier that day and sprinted for the front door, I didn't want to have such a bitter-sweet memory again.

I went onto the front porch and down the cement stairs, hitting the pavement still in a slight sprint. This time the ice got the better of me; my boot hit the ice and despite the built in traction to it, my foot slipped and I twisted my ankle.

"Fucking Hell!" I shouted before limping back up onto both feet, "Great, just great!" I headed back to Evelyn's van, fingers already numb again.

I got in and started the van and cranked the heater; it was so nice to have a vehicle with warm air! My ankle throbbed as I applied pressure to the break and shifted it into drive. _'Oh yeah, that's going to swell…'_

Stop signs sucked and I must have hit every red-light from Evelyn's home to Jerry's. _'Fucking ice!'_ I wasn't really angry with the ice, I was really annoyed with Jack and Bobby, but the ice seemed like a good scapegoat for now, _'All slippery and clear and shit! I swear to God I will get my revenge on the frozen water of the world!'_

I got out of the van in front of Jerry's house and slipped again, "GOD DAMN IT ALL TO HELL!" Same ankle, same culprit. I stormed, whilst limping, to the front door and let myself in. My face was red with anger and from being whipped by the cold air outside.

Everyone who was still there looked at me with slight confusion and I would swear that some of them had their cell phones out to call nine-one-one to three-oh-two my ass but I didn't care.

I shivered as I took off my jacket and brushed some snow out of my hair. I tried to smile apologetically to everyone who was still staring at me, but I really just wanted to get my boot off of my foot and check my ankle.

I made my way across the crowded living room and to the couch that was, just earlier that day, Jackie's bed. I sat down and groaned. As I unlaced my boot to my throbbing ankle I gave a hiss and then a sigh when the boot finally came off.

It was slightly swollen and probably would bruise but nothing that would last long or need a hospital visit. I leaned back and rested my head on the back of the couch. I sighed and closed my eyes.

"Naomi?" Jack's voice rang out through the other voices in the room.

I opened one eye and looked towards where my name was called from; Jack stood next to the couch.

When he saw my reaction he continued, "Do you need some ice?"

I groaned and shook my head, "No, I just need to keep off it…"

He nodded and sat down beside me. We didn't say anything for a while; it was awkward and weird to have him sit there next to me after three years. I thought of a billion different scenarios on how I could start talking to him, but I couldn't bring myself to actually play any of them out…

On the thought process of scenario billion and one I felt a hand creep across my thigh and rest on top of my hand. I looked at the hand, it had long fingers and a ring on its index finger, my eyes traced up to the wrist, then the forearm attached to it, where I could see the edges of the word tattooed on the opposite side. I skipped looking at the rest and went straight to his face… Jackie's blue eyes stared back at me.

We didn't say anything to each other but we both knew that things would be ok. I felt a surge of happiness, despite my throbbing ankle, because we were quickly falling back into the swing of things regardless of our time apart.

I sighed and placed my head on his shoulder. The events of the past couple of days were really taking their toll on me because after five minutes of sitting there in comfort my eyes began to droop and after ten minutes I was asleep.

My dream was odd and I didn't like it:

_I was in a dark hall and Jack was standing at the end of it, calling my name so I started to walk towards him, a strange smile spread across my face. One of those goofy ones that let you know that you are truly happy. The one that no matter how hard you try you can't get it to go away or explain why you are doing it._

_As I walked towards him he reached out his hand and I brought mine out… I couldn't walk fast enough. It seemed to take me an eternity to get to him. When our hands finally touched we pulled each other into a hug._

_BANG!_

_I don't know where the sound came from but it was loud. There was a time hiccup and I was sitting on the ground with Jack's head in my lap and there was blood everywhere, I put my hand on his wound, trying to keep the crimson fluid from running out but the more I tried it seemed like the quicker it flowed! I tried to call out his name but nothing came out when I opened my mouth._

Then I was back in Jerry's living room, when I opened my eyes and looked up I saw Jack's face again, he had a look of confusion and worry.

"Naomi? Are you ok?" Jack's voice was concerned.

I looked around the room and was happy to see that all the guests were gone and the only ones that were staring at me oddly other than Jack was Jerry's girls; Amelia and Daniela.

I looked back at Jack, "Yeah, I'm fine. Why?"

"Well-" Jack started but was interrupted.

"You were shouting Uncle Jack's name…" Daniel butted in.

"And you sounded like you were crying…" Amelia finished.

I looked at Jack for confirmation; I could feel the blood rush to my cheeks and my face getting hot. I hated being embarrassed and my own body betrayed me while I slept!

Jack nodded.

I groaned.

The girls giggled.

Jerry came into the room, "What's all this giggling about in here?" He was trying to sound like he was angry but he was obviously playing around.

"Nothing…" Amelia said as if she was getting a joke over on her Daddy, she covered her mouth with her hands and continued to giggle into them.

"Naomi was drooling on Uncle Jack and talk-crying his name in her sleep!" Daniela, that little rat!

I picked up one of the throw pillows off of the couch and tossed it at her, "Snitch!"

She giggled and then hid behind her Dad's legs.

"Oh, is that all?" Jerry said with a smile on his face.

As if my day couldn't get any worse, Jerry now had blackmail ammo on me.

Bobby came into the living room, a beer in hand, and looked around the room like we were leaving him out of some big secret. His forehead was creased with intrigue, "What's up I moan?"

"Nothing." I answered quickly.

"Will you stop calling her that, Bobby?" Jack came to my defense. Bobby had given me that nickname when he realized that Naomi backwards was Imoan. Which was when he was about ten…

"I will call your girlfriend whatever I want…" Bobby took a swig of his beer.

The death glare was back and aimed full force at Bobby, except I had reinforcements this time, Jack was glaring right next to me; "She isn't my girlfriend, Bobby."

My death glare faltered and I glanced at Jack, he didn't seem to notice though.

Bobby took another swig from his beer and started to walk out of the room as he called back, "Sure could have fooled me…Are we ready to go?"

"Yeah, Bobby, just a second…" Jerry interjected so that he could defuse the bomb, I didn't know if it was out of concern for the feelings of all in the living room or for the living room itself.

I groaned in pain as I got to my feet. Jack jumped up quickly to help me, "Here, let me help…" He put his hands on my arm to stabilize me.

I pulled my arm away from him, "I'm fine."

Jerry looked at his girls, "Ok, brush your teeth and change into your pajamas. Make it easy on your momma tonight."

The girls giggled and said "Alright, Daddy" in unison. They skipped off and ran up the stairs.

I pulled on my jacket with out saying another word and went outside to Evelyn's van, I was leaving my car there, it didn't have heat but the van did. Henceforth the van wins. I nearly slipped again and started taking baby steps around the van to the driver's side door and let myself in. I started the van and prayed that the heat would kick in soon.

Jack and Bobby left the house and got into Bobby's boatmobile. Jerry followed suit with his silver Volvo.

Our mini caravan made it back to Evelyn's home and we all filed out and up to the porch. My ankle was excruciating and all I could think about was soaking in a warm bath.

At the porch door there was a traffic jam and Jack's boot came crashing down on my already injured foot, "JACK! That was my foot! Watch where you are stepping!"

He looked back at me and quickly apologized.

We moved onto the porch and I saw the reason for the traffic jam; Angel. We filed into the house and into the entryway, Lilly was standing there. I moved past her and the brothers with Jerry and went into the living room to sit on the couch. Damn ankle.

Lilly greeted Angel and he made a beeline for the kitchen after announcing that he was hungry. I heard a thud and Jack complain, "Hey-What was that for? I didn't do anything…"

There was more dialog that I couldn't hear, but then I heard Jack head upstairs. There was a pause and then Bobby went upstairs. Lilly came into the living room with a disgruntled look on her face.

"So how long do you think it will take for Bobby to notice that his door is locked?" I asked with a playful smile on my face.

Jerry shook his head, "Probably not long at all."

"Well hopefully he is too stupid to notice…or care…" Lilly had a resentful tone.

We heard the floor above us creak and then movement on the stairs, "Yo, Jerry why the hell is my bedroom locked?" Bobby's voice traveled down and filtered into the living room.

Jerry looked from Lilly to Bobby and stated. "Well, I can't tell you, maybe you should stay in mom's room until we find the key. Okay?"

Bobby just rolled his eyes and agreed then walked back up stairs.

Lilly gave a sigh of relief.

"Well talk about ironic." I said as I leaned back on the couch.

A grin spread across Lilly's face and that made me happy… I was glad that even in a stressful time I could still make her smile.

It was an hour of chattering with Jerry before there was another disturbance, this time it was Angel. Lilly and I already knew where he was going and we shook our heads.

"Guess he's going to see La Vida Loca. What do you think?" Lilly said with another smile.

I just giggled and stood up, looking at Lilly. I raised my eyebrows expectantly.

"Yes, I will sit on the porch while you smoke." She knew what I wanted.

We pulled on our jackets and headed out the front door and onto the front porch.

"So you and Jack make up yet?" Lilly asked me with a smile on her face.

I looked at her with a mock offense, "No, I missed him but I'm not desperate." I took a long drag off of my cigarette as she rolled her eyes.

"Really so you have no desire to see Jackie all half- naked dripping in water or sweat which ever you prefer? Or even in his sexy little long johns." Lilly said this to ignite a daydream. And oh did the visions run ramped in my head.

Quickly I shook my head to release my self from my perverse fantasies, "Geegh…Yeah- ah, no. Of course not who would want to see that? It's revolting!" I was lying of course. There wasn't a single thing on that man that I found revolting. In my opinion everything on him was just perfect the way it was.

She laughed at me! She obviously didn't believe what I told her and I was starting to feel myself blush again, so it was time to turn the tables.

"What? It is! Well what about you? Tromping around the house glaring at Bobby, obviously wanting to say something to him but being too chicken to say anything?"

"Pfft! I'm not chicken! I'm just pissed the fuck off!" We both laughed at her response, "Plus, even if I did say something to Bobby he wouldn't get it! I would have to punch him in the face to get his full attention." Again we both giggled with identical images of Lilly decking Bobby in the face.

"You should! I mean if we confronted them then it would make it easier on ourselves, if they are planning on staying here for a while, why should we suffer and they just wonder around in naive bliss not knowing that they are on our shit lists?" I had a determined look on my face, I was serious, and I was starting to get pumped.

"Yeah! You're right!" Lilly looked as determined as I did. "As soon as you finish that cigarette we tear into them!"

I exhaled a hit from my cigarette, "Fuck finishing the cigarette, let's go now before I loose my zealous!" I flicked my half smoked cigarette into the street and we headed inside with the ferocity of a SWAT team, both of us calling out the names of our intended targets.

Jerry came down the stairs hearing the commotion, "Uhh," He grabbed his jacket from the hook by the front door, "They are outback. Jackie needed a smoke."

We looked at each other with determination and headed towards the back door.

"If you are going to rip them a new one make sure you clean up afterwards!" Jerry called after us as he opened the front door to leave.

We reached the back door and ripped it open; as we stepped out onto the back porch we each saw our intended victims and went in for the kill.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Naomi's PoV-**_

I glared at Jackie from the back porch. _'Poor thing; he doesn't even know he is in trouble…yet.'_

I honestly couldn't tell you why I was still so angry. Things had gone pretty well between me and Jack after the funeral and things felt somewhat normal between the two of us… As I searched my brain for some logical explanation on why I was angry with him, his voice rang through my head; "She isn't my girlfriend, Bobby." That was it!

That was why I was angry with him! He had said it so defensively and with such conviction, that the thought of it pissed me off! After he had checked on me and let me fall asleep on him I STILL wasn't his girlfriend.

_'What the hell are you doing?' _My rational part of my brain screamed at me, _'You just expect him to come back here and be madly in love with you?'_

What about what we had before he left? I yelled back, my emotions were definitely set on overdrive, I mean we were practically a couple then.

_'It's been THREE years!' _Damn my sensible logic.

Three years and two months! I stubbornly protested, but my internal argument was cut short when I started to move towards Jack with Lilly, as she moved towards Bobby.

_'No! Stop, don't do it you will chase him away!' _Shut up, logic! I made a decision to be angry and I am sticking with it!

I walked up to Jack; he had such a goofy look on his face, that naïve, innocent look, even with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth.

"Jack…" I tried to remain calm; logic was starting to make sense, "I really need to talk to you…"

He wasn't paying attention to me; he was looking over my head.

"Jack, will you please listen to me?"

Again I got no answer, he just pushed my shoulder.

My face instantly contorted in anger. How dare he-

Jack pushed my shoulder again, then again, and again.

"Jack! What the hell are you do-" I stopped talking because he took both of his hands and placed them on my shoulders, though he still didn't look at me; he was still staring over my head, "Jack, get the fuck off-"

He spun me around, finally I understood, he was watching Lilly and Bobby. I couldn't believe my eyes, she had her fist raised and it was starting to sail through the air. It collided with Bobby's face!

"Oh. My. God!" My thoughts came out of my mouth but as nothing more than a whisper.

Lilly was not a big girl but she could hit hard. As her sister I could tell that she was trying to hide the pain from her face that caused her fist to throb.

I looked over and up at Jackie's face, it was shock infested too, his cigarette slid from his mouth and fell into the snow.

"Jack…" I kept my voice a whisper to not interrupt Bobby and Lilly.

"Hmm?" His answer was more of a grunt.

"Let's go… I still need to have it out with you…"

"Yeah…"

Even though I was the one that voiced the option he was the first to move, he used a sort of pinching motion to grab a hold of my coat and give it a tug to try and get me to move. Honestly, I didn't want to move, fuck yelling at Jack, that could wait, I wasn't sure of the next time that I would be able to see Bobby and Lilly in the ring again:

'_In the left corner; at five-foot-four-inches, weighting one hundred and twenty pounds, wearing black leather, is Lilly 'Motormouth' Finnegan!_

_And in the right corner; her competitor; at five-foot-nine-inches, weighting one hundred and sixty-three pounds, wearing brown leather, is Bobby 'Michigan Mauler' Mercer!_

_Now, lllllleeeeeetttttssssss get ready to ruuuuuuummmmbllllle!'_

We both stared in awe as we saw Lilly's fist rise again, but Jack must have thought that I had enough personal entertainment from this because he tugged harder on my coat and finally got me to move by pushing me towards the house.

He managed to get me to the stairs of the back porch before my legs wouldn't let him move me any further; Lilly hit Bobby again and the yelling had begun… I leaned to one side to see around Jack, he stood in front of me, I leaned the other way and he moved in front of me again.

"Jack, move your super long body so I can see!" I batted at his side to get him to move but to no avail.

"I think we should give them their privacy." Jack had a nervous look on his face. If I wasn't so concerned with the argument between Lilly and Bobby, I would have left immediately.

I knew of Jack's past and was usually more sensitive to his feelings but Bobby and Lilly had never full on fought like this before. So I stayed were I was.

Jack got fed up and picked me up, slinging me over his shoulder. My legs dangled down his chest and he kept a hold of them to make sure that I didn't fall. Jack carried me up the stairs and in through the back door.

I saw at least two more punches before I was distracted by Jack's ass as he walked through the house, into the entryway and up the stairs to his room. When he carried me to his room he quickly dropped me on the bed, then he began to pace slightly along side his bed. I realized that we could still hear Bobby and Lilly yelling.

Jack rubbed his hands on his jeans, wiping the sweat from his palms. He couldn't seem to hold still; immediately after his hands left his jeans they ran through his hair.

"Jack!" I nearly shouted at him, but I wanted to get his attention. I can't believe that I was so stupid for not paying attention! "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," His voice was shaky and he was still pacing, "Yeah, of course I am fine, what did you want to talk to me about?"

Oh great! Now what was I supposed to do, he was already worked up from Lilly yelling at Bobby! I couldn't possibly yell at him now!

"Well," I nervously tucked a piece of my hair behind my ear, "You see, Jackie…" I kept the tone of my voice soft so that I didn't seem like I was attacking him.

I had his attention; he was staring at me, probably hanging on every word that I said so that he could block out Lilly and Bobby.

"It's just what you said at Jerry's…"

"What did I say at Jerry's?" He obviously didn't know what he did, of course he was a guy; did they ever know when they did something to hurt a girl?

"That I'm not your girlfriend… I mean it wasn't what you said so much as it was the way that you said it…" I quickly got out the second half of my sentence to try and explain myself, my logic was easier to ignore when I didn't have to try and explain everything to Jack.

"Well, you aren't…" He said it so bluntly.

Oh my God! My logic was right, he didn't think that way of me, and he probably never would. I can't believe that I was so stupid to believe that whatever emotions he held for me three years ago were still there. Tears began to well up.

Jack must have read my expression because he added, "Naomi, we haven't seen each other in three years, it would probably just feel weird and forced." His voice had sympathetic tones but I wasn't listening.

Quickly I got up and walked out of his room.

"Naomi!" He called after me but I wasn't stopping, "Naomi!" He followed me into the hall.

"Leave me alone, Jack!" I kept my back towards him, my goal; Lilly's bedroom, "I don't want to hear anything you have to say."

His long legs made it easy for him to catch up to me and he grabbed my arm, spinning me around, he moved his hand to mine, "What did I do?"

"Seriously? Are you seriously going to ask me that?" I shook my head, and pulled my hand away from him, "You left! You left me, and Lilly. You didn't tell anyone! I got a FUCKING note on my FUCKING pillow!" Now I was yelling!

I couldn't believe him, he must have been partially brain dead! He stood there staring at me, his jaw shifting side to side as if he was mauling the words around, "Naomi…"

"Don't Jackie… Just don't…" I didn't want a half assed apology or some lame excuse for the note; I wanted him to be truly sorry. I turned my back on him, as he had done to me three years ago. I turned my back on him so that I didn't have to look at his face, and so that he couldn't see mine. My eyes had already begun to fill with tears; as mad as I was at him, I already wanted to apologize for yelling. I should've been more compassionate. His mother had just died and I had the gull to scream at him for what most would consider trivial shit.

He sighed, "Naomi, you didn't make things any better…"

I turned around and opened my mouth to respond but closed it and said nothing I wanted to see where he was going with this…

"I mean, Mimi, I told you that I was _**thinking**_ of leaving…" Jack rubbed the back of his head as he said this.

"Yeah, but Jackie you were also thought about becoming an astronaut, a tattoo artist, and a record store owner, but you never did any of those!" I was still angry but I wasn't yelling anymore the use of the nickname he gave me stopped all that… A sharp pain had run through my heart when he said it.

"Well you never showed any interest in going with me when I was telling you about taking the band on the road!" Jack looked frustrated…

"_YOU_ never showed any interest in having _ME_ come with _YOU_!" I crossed my arms over my chest… I didn't yell I just stressed the key words… _a lot_…

Jackie opened his mouth and began to say something but the sound of the back door being slammed cut him off.

We could hear footsteps coming up the stairs, they sounded pissed off… There was a fifty-fifty chance on it being either Lilly or Bobby. Either way both of them had a mean temper and no one would want to be caught in the middle of it.

Jack and I looked at each other, we were standing in the middle of the hall; the footsteps were headed right towards us. We both moved at the same time and headed towards the closet adjacent from Angel's room.

We were both squeezed together in the small dark room, as the footsteps passed the closet door. I heard Lilly's voice mutter something about how big of a prick Bobby was.

I looked up at Jack, and was shocked to see that he was looking down at me. I used to love this closet… This is where we would hide from Evelyn's motherly gaze and Bobby's verbal abuse. The look on his face was the same that he would give me just before…

I realized that I had started to lean towards him; I shook my head slightly and turned my face away from him. I started feeling around in the dark for the doorknob so I could escape. Finally I found the cold metal knob, but a warm hand covered mine… I jumped. His other hand caught my chin and turned my face back towards him.

"Jack…?" I whispered his name but it was barely audible even to my own ears.

He brought his face in close to mine, I could tell because I could feel his warm breath on my face. I had an odd sensation, as if there was an electrical charge between our lips in the small gap that was between them. I missed his kiss and my body ached for it.

His hand, over mine, clasped the doorknob and gave it a quick turn opening the door and flooding our closet with light from the hallway.

Our lips never touched.

Jack brushed passed me and down the hall, retreating to his room. I was left standing alone in the closet.

After a minute or two I sighed and stepped out. Hoping that as I left the closet I could forget about the times spent in there, and store them in a box in that little dark room.

Especially the newest time spent.

It was hurtful and made me long for him.

I went to Lilly's room and climbed into bed with her, she was already asleep.

As I laid there attempting to fall asleep myself while listening to Lilly's light snoring, I came to one conclusion… Jack was a dick.

The next morning I woke up in a vengeful mood… And to the sound of Lilly yelling from the bathroom.

I rolled out of bed and left the room, starting down the hall, I saw Bobby leaving the bathroom and go down the stairs. _'What the hell was he doing in there?'_ I thought to myself, _'Oh well, I will get the full story from Lilly later…'_

Then I saw Jack. He was headed towards the bathroom too, so I sped up a little so I could get there before him, but he was quicker than I gave him credit for and we collided in the doorframe. We struggled for a quick second before I squeezed through.

Jack headed straight for the toilet, but not before glancing twice at Lilly, who after the second glance finally covered herself, a twinge of unnecessary jealousy shot through me.

"Hey, where did you get that scar?" Jack sounded slightly impressed.

Quickly I answered for Lilly, trying to get Jack's attention back on me, "It was a bar fight; she stole my battle wound…" I pulled my shirt over my head and wiggled out of my pajama bottoms.

"Oh, okay, got it…" He started attempt number two at peeing and mumbled something under his breath.

"What did you say?" I unclasped my bra and pulled it off, letting it dangle for a second on my finger before walking over to the door and placing it on the doorknob; it was my way of making my own do not disturb sign.

"Nothing, now quit! I can't pee with you talking; it makes it crawl back up…" Jack attempted for a third time to pee but I did a kind of strut over and stood beside him, I knew that he had looked, at least once, "Damn it, Naomi! I can't pee now!" He zipped his fly and left the bathroom in a huff.

A smirk played on my lips as I climbed into the shower. Revenge is a dish best served naked! I heard Lilly leave the bathroom, probably to get her task list of events for the day started.

I let the warm water run across the crown of my head and run over my face, after a minute or so of this I continued the getting clean part my shower.

Afterwards I got out, removed my bra from the doorknob, and returned to Lilly's room to get dressed.

When I was fully clothed I pulled out my favorite book, lying down on Lilly's bed, I began to read it for the billionth time. After a while I could smell breakfast drift into the room and that was my cue to head downstairs.

I met up with Jackie at the bottom of the stairs, "Hey, were you able to pee yet?" I meant it to be playful and was glad to see Jack got the joke.

He had a playful smirk on his face then took my hand, a truce for now.

We could hear Lilly singing from the Kitchen so we silently crept down the hall and listened in. Bobby was listening too. Lilly was a really good singer, as she finished her song; Jack and I applauded.

Lilly spun around and began to blush; I thought her whole body was going to turn red! Bobby smirked and snickered from the living room. Lilly spun around and continued to cook.

It was odd of Lilly; she didn't sit with us as we ate in the dining room but returned to the kitchen and cleaned. She didn't say a word to anyone she just…cleaned… She started upstairs but Bobby stopped her. Any time that Bobby and Lilly interacted it had the entire household's attention.

It was nothing exciting, it was just his curiosity getting the better of him, he was the one that voiced the question we were all thinking; "…Aren't you going to eat?"

She told him that she wasn't hungry and then continued upstairs. I knew what was bothering her… How could it not be bothering her? Bobby was here. I mean Bobby was nothing but a constant reminder of what she had, what she lost, and of the only other person that she loved more than him.

After breakfast I washed the dishes with Sofi. Bobby made a few ill timed jokes about 'La Vida Loca' and 'I moan'. It was about eleven thirty when Jerry came by to get Lilly and I to go shopping for Thanksgiving dinner.

Jerry kept his jacket on even though he was inside, "Hey, Naomi, ya' ready?"

"I am but I think Lilly is asleep!" I grabbed my coat off of the rack and pulled it on.

Jerry sighed and headed up the stairs, "That girl is never on time for anything is she?"

"Nope!" I called after him. I smiled at Jerry's joke and for some unknown reason looked into the living room.

Jack looked away quickly and that made my smile grow broader.

Bobby decided to add an answer for Jerry's question, "Damn straight that girl is never on time, she was even late for her period once!"

My eyes widened… I knew what he was talking about but he had no clue on the out come of said late period…

I looked back at Jack again, our eyes locked… _'Uh-oh…'_ was written all over my face. Jack was amazing at reading my emotions. I started to panic under his gaze and averted my eyes, "JERRY I AM GOING TO WAIT IN THE CAR!" I shouted up the steps before darting towards the door and escaping out into the cold.

I could hear Jack's footfalls behind me.

"Oh-no, oh-no, no, no, no, no!" I muttered to myself as I reached Jerry's Volvo and ripped open the door… As I climbed into the passenger seat I could see Jack had started to sprint.

"Naomi! Stop!" He called as he got closer.

"Nuh-uh!" I shook my head violently as I locked the doors.

Jack reached the passenger side door to the Volvo and tugged on the handle to try and gain entry but to no avail.

I smiled and stuck my tongue out triumphantly as I leaned back against the seat.

"Damn it, Naomi, open the door!" I could hear Jack shout through the glass.

I closed my eyes… It was hard to defy him when I saw that face.

He gave one more fruitless tug on the handle before slamming his palm on the window in frustration.

I kept my eyes closed, I couldn't tell you if it was for a minute or five, but sitting there I got an urge to have a cigarette. I searched my pockets and felt nothing… My eyes snapped open and I frantically searched the pockets to my hoodie again. Nothing! What was a victory over Jack if I didn't have my cigarettes?

I looked out the window and there was no Jack… He must have gotten bored or cold and went back inside. I looked around just to be safe… I wouldn't put it passed Jackie to be hiding behind the Volvo… or camouflaged in a snow bank; waiting for me to make a mistake.

No sign of tall, dark, and gorgeous so I slowly unlocked the door, attempting to not let it make a noise. I gently pulled on the door handle and slowly started to open it, flinching a bit when the door creaked. I timidly poked my foot out of the car and let it gingerly hit the snow covered sidewalk.

_'I'm out of the car and no sign of him…He must been inside…'_ I thought as I crept, ninja style to the side of the house, _'I'll go through the back door, he won't suspect that!'_ I continued my ninjitsu creep until I got to the end of the house and did a James Bond roll to the back porch, followed by an Indiana Jones scramble up the steps and into the back door.

I busted through the door, feeling utterly victorious, until I saw Jackie sitting at the kitchen table, my cigarettes in hand. He smiled triumphantly as he shook the pack at me; to get my attention on them.

"Damn it Jackie! How did you know?" I wasn't pissed; I was actually slightly impressed that he knew.

"Naomi, seriously; you haven't changed at all in three years?" Jack still had the goofy smile on his face.

"Three years and two months! You are forgetting the two months…" I glared at him.

"Naomi, listen, I know it wasn't fair, I should have given you more of a heads up…" The smile was gone and he was serious.

"You think!" I was getting worked up, thinking about that made me sad, and knowing how he felt about me made the fact that he was standing right in front of me seem so superficial…

"Naomi," He said my name to get my attention as he stepped closer to me, "I'm sorry…"

I looked up at him; he was close to me again, like we were in the closet the night before. As I looked up I could feel the tears start to well up, and feel my face starting to get hot… I didn't say anything I just kept staring at him.

He started to bring his face down towards mine… and I brought mine closer to his.

"Am I interrupting something?" Jerry's voice broke our moment.

"Damn it, Jerry!" We both growled at the same time.

"What?" Jerry must have a sixth sense for ruining sweet moments.

"Nothing…" Jackie brushed past Jerry, leaving his older brother and me in the kitchen.

Soon after we heard Lilly bounding down the stairs, she collided with Bobby and he caught her! Secretly that sent a wave of happiness through me… At least he still cared about her well being, right?

She told him about the box in his old room and then we were off for Thanksgiving dinner shopping!


	4. Chapter 4

**Naomi's P-o-V-**

I sat in the front seat of Jerry's silver Volvo. It was odd because normally Lilly would have gotten shotgun. But nevertheless I felt slightly victorious in obtaining the front seat.

Jerry started the car and the engine roared to life. He was about to put it into drive but something caught his attention and before I knew it he was looking at me expectantly. Jerry never made me nervous but after a few moments of him staring at me I finally felt uncomfortable enough at ask…

"What?"

"Your seatbelt…" He said this in a matter of fact tone.

"Grr… Alright…" I grabbed the metal part of the seatbelt, which always reminded me of a flattened bottle opener and pulled the seatbelt over me, "I forgot Father of the Year was driving…"

"Oh, come on, Naomi, don't bitch just do it…" Jerry watched as I secured my seatbelt, when he heard the defining click he put the car into drive, "Now we can go…" He pulled away from the curb, slowly.

"Good thing I am wearing my seatbelt, you almost took out that snow bank going two-miles-per-hour…" I rolled my eyes and put my head against the window. The cool glass fogged up a little where my warm skin touched it.

"So, what's wrong?" Jerry asked this out of genuine concern.

"What do you mean, nothing is wrong…" I lied.

"Ok, then, what did I do?" At least one of the Mercer Boys cared if you had any animosity towards him…

"Ruined my day…" I grumbled more to the window than to Jerry… I didn't want to admit it but the words rolled off my tongue before I could swallow them… I guess it really wasn't Jerry's fault… How could he have known what was going on in the Kitchen?

"Its something I am good at…" Jerry confessed.

_'I know!'_ Part of my brain screamed.

"But how did I ruin your day, just for clarification…" Now he was prying.

"Jackie was going to kiss me in the Kitchen and you just had to walk in and announce your presence…" I blurted.

Jerry chuckled, "So that is why you are being moody? Because you didn't get a kiss from Cracker Jack?"

I glared at him, not moving my head from the window. The heat from my blushing cheeks could have ignited the car; did I mention how much I hate being embarrassed? "No, I mean, yes, I mean, I don't know!" I didn't yell I just grumbled and muttered; I wasn't even sure if he heard half of it.

"Well, relax, Naomi, there will be plenty other chances…" Jerry said, with amusement in his voice, as he stopped at a red light.

I made a small snort noise in disbelief.

"Uh-oh, what?" Jerry looked at me, being able to take his eyes off the road, seeing as the vehicle was at a complete stop.

"Nothing…" I grumbled back into my friend; the window. Its coolness helped calm the fire that shot through my cheeks.

"No, it's something, what is it?" Jerry; you nosey, motherfucker.

"Its just that I don't know how long he will be here and if he is just going to leave again or if he is going to stay for a while, so yes, optimistically, there will be plenty of other chances, but Jerry, you know me, and you also know that I am one of the biggest pessimists around and that I can't look at a situation and see the silver lining or the light at the end of the tunnel. No, not me, not Naomi, I always take the worst case scenario and then add a tornado, some flying shrapnel of death, a few plagues falling from the sky and that is my out come. I prepare myself for the _ultimate_ worst so when it doesn't happen I am okay with just the regular plain old worst." My chest heaved as I tried to bring air to my lungs and I was vaguely aware that my arms had been flying around as I had ranted.

"Naomi, you need to stop ranting in run-on sentences… Lack of oxygen kills brain cells you know…" Jerry took another jab at me but I knew he was playing.

It didn't keep me from playing that I was annoyed with him though, "What are you Jerry, some Goddamned English Professor? … I can rant however I want."

"Naomi, I have two little girls," Jerry said with a sigh, "and I want them to speak properly, you got a fucking problem with that?"

"Well, naw, I really don' think you are goin' to teach me a thing!" I put on a really fake Southern accent.

Jerry glared at me then pulled forward, when the green light permitted him.

The car was silent, and my mind raced with a billion thoughts of Jackie. The thoughts swirled around in my head until I couldn't contain them anymore, "Jerry… I'm sorry. I shouldn't be mad at you. I mean, hell I really didn't think things were going to happen between me and Jack anyway."

"And why would you say that?" Jerry said as he made a left turn into the GroceryMart's parking lot.

"Well, for one; I don't know how long he is going to be staying here." I sighed; the thought of loosing Jack for a second time killed me, "And two; since Mo-you mother's death, even if they do stay for a while, they probably will end up kicking Lilly and me out."

The parking lot was packed; filled with last minute shoppers. Jerry made another round around the parking lot looking for a parking space, "No, I don't think they will, but if you don't want to take my word for it, you could always ask Lilly, she has a better way of talking to you… Isn't that right Lilly?" I saw Jerry's eyes flick to the rearview mirror to look at Lilly.

"Lilly?" I attempted to get her attention.

Jerry pulled into a parking space located what seemed like five miles from the fucking store and I unbuckled my seatbelt and spun around in the seat to look back at my sister, there was a small noise of protest from Jerry, "Lilly?"

Lilly snapped out of her daze, "Yes, what is it? Is something wrong, what happened?"

Jerry and I shook our heads; I almost wanted to giggle at her because I was about ninety percent sure on who she was thinking about. I got out and stepped into the biting cold and headed towards the store.

When the automatic doors opened a jet of warm air hit my face, the sudden temperature change made my body shudder and break out in gooseflesh. Jerry walked past me and further into the store, the man was on a mission…

I slowed my pace and fell instep with Lilly. I walked beside her as we headed down an isle. She was still quiet; she has been acting so strange since Bobby came home, granted we just lost a mother figure and even I wasn't at my perkiest but I wasn't as bad as she was.

I couldn't take her awkward silence any longer. I spun on my heels and looked her in the eyes, "So, in the car what were you thinking about, because Jerry and I had said you name like a thousand times but you never answered. What's going on?"

"Well you can't tell anyone not even Jerry Okay?" Lilly said it seriously.

I nodded and she continued. "I was remembering the last day I spent with Bobby and how he left me that night."

I stared at her, unsure if it was a good thing or a bad thing. In the process of trying to figure it out I must have started staring, finally I felt myself blink and we continued walking. Suddenly the isle of my dreams was before me. The Asian food's Isle. Quickly I busied myself with Hello Kitty merchandise and Pocky. I turned around to nag Lilly for them but she was missing. So I started my search, slightly panicked that her and Jerry would leave without me.

I turned around the edge of the isle in enough time to collide with someone. Only as the man rudely stormed off without so much as a grumbled apology, did I realize that it was Detective Fowler. The collision caused me to be knocked off balance and to tumble into the isle's shelves, my feet slid out from under me and I landed hard on my ass.

"Fuck." I muttered to myself as the ache traveled up my spine. I tipped my head back so it rested on one of the metal shelves and sighed. When I opened my eyes I noticed the next disaster about to happen.

A peanut butter jar teetered on the edge of the top shelf. Before I could react the jar made its suicidal jump for my face. Its Kamikazi flight landed it in my eye.

I blinked hard, trying to get the pain to go away, but it was a fruitless attempt. I watched the jar of peanutie goodness roll, in a semicircle across the highly polish linoleum floor and stop next to my converse clad food. I kicked it, wreaking my revenge on the nutty treat.

I got back onto my feet and felt a wave of vertigo, half of my vision was blurred and the other was just as bad as it usually was. Now I really needed to find my sister, she would make my eye feel better…hopefully.

It seemed my luck was changing, as I turned a corner to the next isle my sister was there, but someone was with her, and it wasn't Jerry. I started towards them, the fastest I could go with out running. When I met up with them in front of the doughnut stand I noticed that Bobby was holding Lilly's hand. The second that I started to think of something to say, Bobby noticed that I noticed and he let go. I made a mental note to bring it up later at a more embarrassing time…

"Where were you? I went looking for you in the baking isle but you were gone!" I huffed out, "And I saw Fowler leave in a huff. I just got a bit scared that's all." Ok, so I got a lot scared but I wasn't about to elaborate in front of Bobby. Fowler had MAJOR creeper factor when it came to my sister. He has some sort of weird obsession with her and it bordered stalking.

Evelyn had told me about her suspicions around the time that Robbie went missing. Fowler had tried to date my sister after Bobby left, but she had Robbie and wouldn't do it. Evelyn told me that he had even proposed to Lilly but she was disinclined to acquiesce his request, and he didn't like that very much. There were plenty of phone calls late at night with no one else on the other line, random gifts at the door step, and cars that would follow us for blocks, even miles, when we would go out. Eventually I figured out who was behind it all… but I thought there were background checks so that cops didn't end up being the bad guys. Fowler, the slippery snake that he was must have just made it through the cracks.

"It was just a slight altercation, but Bobby stepped in… and nothing happened." She gave me an awkward look, that either meant drop the subject or I need to pee. I doubted it was the second one.

Being the inquisitive little sister, I pressed on, "Are you sure you are alright?" I nodded my head in Bobby's direction, but not enough that he would notice.

She just gave me the smile. The one that she always did when she really didn't want to talk about it… So I kept quiet and just followed her and Bobby as they looked for Jerry.

Jerry was conveniently placed by the turkeys. Bobby picked out a huge Turkey-zilla and placed it in the cart, then made a bee-line for the alcohol isle. Now was the time that I made my move…

Silently I slipped away and followed Bobby. He turned the corner of the isle. With my not so stealthy ninja creep, I pressed my back against the end of the isle and peeked as little of myself around the corner as humanly possible so that I could see what he was doing. He of course was doing what anyone else would be doing when they went down an isle that had something they wanted; he was looking for a purchase.

I quickly ducked back behind the isle, I could barely contain myself. Now was the prime opportunity to strike and corner him, to get him alone and ask him what the fuck he was doing. What he was doing here and with Lilly.

"I moan. It's not polite to sneak up on people when they are shopping." His deep nonchalant voice rumbled from the isle. It wasn't mean… it was just knowing.

My jaw dropped, '_How did he know?' _I turned the corner of the isle and stared at him, my jaw still slack. He hadn't even turned around; he was still staring at the alcohol.

The leather of his jacket creaked as he finally turned around to look at me, "You breathe heavy when you are excited."

I glared at him and scrunched up my face, "How did you know what I was thinking?"

"You're predictable." He shrugged as he picked up one of the brandy bottles off of the shelf.

"Oh, Bobby, you always was a man of many words…" I teased sarcastically.

"And you were- Hey, wait what happened to your eye?" Bobby put the Brandy bottle back on the shelf and walked over to me.

I tried to cover my eye with my hair as I looked down at my feet, "Nothing, just a little extra klutzy today, you know how I am." I thought I sounded convincing, though it had the tone of the abused girlfriend covering for her asshole boyfriend.

He put his hand on my cheek and made me look at him; his eyebrows drew together as he examined it. It was awkward to have Bobby's face this close to mine. Even though I could see directly into his eyes I couldn't read what was going on behind them. I brought my hand up to his and pulled on it to remove it from my face, under his gaze I folded like a napkin, "It was Fowler."

Bobby balled his fists at his side, "I'll kill that asshole, where did he go…"

"It wasn't on purpose but he didn't apologize either," I regaled Bobby with the Ballad of the Peanut Butter Jar… Though by the end of it Bobby's mood wasn't for the better.

"That fuck face, I'm still going to kill him."

"Just relax, there is no reason for you to worry- Wait, why do you care?" I smiled.

"No reason…" He answered quickly and then picked up the brandy bottle again as he started to walk towards the front of the store.

I followed, jogging to keep up with him, "No, there has to be a reason… I think its because you care about me…"

"That's not it at all…"

"Yes, it is… And if you care about me then you sure as hell have to care about Lilly, I mean hell, you fucked her…"

"No, that is definitely not it."

"Admit it Bobby, you like us… Hell, I'd even go so far as to say that you _love_ us."

Bobby stopped in his tracks and I collided with his back, "Oh hit a nerve, did I?"

He turned and looked at me, "I moan… It is very far from that…"

"Lies…" I said with a smile on my face, "You fucked Lilly you have to at least care a bit…"

"It wasn't just fucking…" Bobby's mouth sometimes got the better of him.

"OH!" I said my smile broadening at my victory, It was so nice to finally get a victory over Bobby "So it was love making?"

Bobby put his mean face back on and continued to walk, not saying a word. He checked out and started towards the door, I was at his heals the whole time with my triumphant smile.

I saw Jerry and Lilly at the register and made an instant pivot towards them…

"Where are you going?" Bobby grumbled.

"Oh, just to tell Lilly all about your little epiphany…" A playful smirk danced across my lips.

"I swear, I moan, if you utter a word, you won't wake up tomorrow morning…" His threat threw me off a little but there was also a part of me that kept me from taking it completely serious.

"Yeah, yeah…"

Jerry had paid for the groceries by the time that I got over to the check out counter, he seemed oddly quiet, for some reason, I just couldn't put my finger on it. Before I could ask what was wrong Lilly had linked arms with me and headed towards the double automatic doors, past Bobby and to Jerry's Volvo.

I unlinked my arm with Lilly so I could reach my chilled fingers with fingerless gloves into my jacket pockets for my cigarettes and lighter. I popped the end of one in my mouth and lit the lighter, behind the flame I could see Lilly and Bobby talking… The end of my cigarette looked like a small torch as Lilly got into Bobby's boatmobile.

_'What the hell did they think they were doing?' _I thought to myself, _'She is extremely mad at him and he is Mr. No-talky-to-her-since-I-got-back-in-town Man… Now they were driving together? There is going to be an accident…'_

"Remember there is no smoking in my car…" Jerry was back to his usual anti-cancer inducing, nicotine enriched products in his precious living areas.

"Right, it's fucked anyway…" I opened the car door with a glare permanently plastered on Bobby, _'What exactly did he think he was up to?' _I took a hit off of the remains of my cigarette and tossed the rest of it into a small pile of parking lot snow slush.

I got into the passenger seat, Jerry stared at me again, "Are you serious?"

"Very." Was his simple response.

I sighed but did what was expected of me, _'Stupid flattened bottle opener of strappy death…'_

Jerry was pleased so he started the car and we headed home.

"So why is Bobby taking my sister home?" I must have sounded a little defensive because Jerry looked over at me; Safest Driver of the World took his eyes off the road.

"I guess he wanted to talk to her… Is that a crime?"

"No, but I wish he would say it in front of us…" I pouted.

"And why do you feel that it is your right to know what he is saying to her?" Jerry turned onto Evelyn's street.

"Well other than my natural and hereditary over active sense of curiosity, I want to be there just incase he says something to hurt her." I sighed and unbuckled my seat belt, and to Jerry's surprise; after we were completely parked, "I can't take seeing her cry anymore."

"I know, these past few days have been hectic on everyone…" Jerry met me at the back of the Volvo to collect the groceries, "Though I can't blame you for being protective of her… Words aren't Bobby's strong point. Even when he doesn't try too, he ends up insulting someone."

"Yeah, it's like it's his superpower." Jerry and I both chuckled, then headed towards the house; our arms cluttered with paper bagged groceries. "Ten bucks he fucks up and they are fighting before the car ride is over."

As Jerry and I unloaded the groceries, which took about thirty minutes because I was picking on Jackie for about every little thing that he did, Bobby came in the front door and shut it with a slam.

I held my hand out to Jerry, "He fucked up."

Jerry rolled his eyes and slapped the money in my palm.

"Thank you…" I said with a slight smile, "Now it's my turn to find out what he did and give him living hell for it…"

"Mimi, I would just leave him alone…" Jackie had the nervous look on his face, the same that he always got just before some one exploded.

"Yes, but Jack that just isn't the Finnegan way…" I reached up on my tiptoes and patted him on the head.

As I left the Kitchen I could hear Jerry say, "Man, you better put a leash on your girl, or she is going to get her nose bit off. And I don't think that Bobby has had his rabies shot in years…"

"Jerry, you know her temper, ok well you know Lilly's and she is just like her in some aspects, this is one of them, the more you tell them no the more they ignore you and do whatever they want anyway."

A smug smile played on my lips; at least he remembered my temper, though he was wrong in saying that mine was anything like Lilly's. Her fuse was a lot shorter.

"BOBBY!" I screamed, I wasn't sure where he had gone, so I decided to initiate a more anger packed version of Marco Polo.

"WHAT?" He yelled from upstairs.

'Ah-huh! Target located!' I ran up the stairs, "Where are you?" I tried and failed miserably to keep my volume at an appropriate level.

"In Ma's room." He wasn't shouting anymore, now it just sounded like a growl.

I followed his voice into Evelyn's room, "Where is my sister?"

"I don't know." He grumbled as he shoved his clean laundry into one of his drawers, like my sister he too organized when he was upset.

"What do you mean, you don't know! She was left with you… When you take someone you are supposed to be in charge and take care of them, you know!" My chest was heaving I was so angry. "Good thing you were never around, you would have been a horrible father!"

As soon as it left my mouth my brain went into overdrive trying to come up with a way to reprieve myself. _'Good thing Lilly wasn't here, she would have killed me…' _

"What do you mean by that?" Bobby's hands were on his hips and his arms looked as intimidating as ever.

"Uh, nothing, I just meant your future kids, you better get a good woman like Lilly to take care of them and be momma or they are screwed…" Please, please let it work.

"If Lilly is such a good mom then what the hell happened to her son?" His eyebrows were pulled together, the look that he gets when he was either thinking intently on something or pissed about something and given the way that he was acting I assumed that it was the later of the two options, "And I want the truth, none of this 'Oh his dad left and blah blah blah' bullshit that I have been being fed!"

His allegations that Lilly was lying to him made me fly into a blind rage, "You BASTARD!" I screamed before advancing on him, he took a small step back but didn't back down, "HIS FATHER DID LEAVE, JUST LIKE YOURS, AND WHY WOULD SHE LIE TO YOU? THE ONLY LIE SHE IS TELLING YOU IS FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY AND BECAUSE YOU WOULD BE TOO SELFISH TO EVEN GIVE A SHIT ABOUT THE TRUTH ANYWAY!" At some point in time I had started swinging at Bobby, viciously slapping him on the arms and chest, "YOU KNOW THE ONLY TWO WOMEN WHO EVER LOVED YOU WERE LILLY AND EVELYN, EVERYONE ELSE WALKED OUT ON YOU AND NOW IM STARTING TO SEE WHY!"

I heard the stairs creek just outside the room and turned to see Jackie and Jerry peeking from the staircase, over the landing and into the room. I didn't even care that they were watching, though the look on Jackie's face made my heart ache.

Now it was Bobby's turn, his voice bellowed the instant it left his mouth, "YOU THINK YOU KNOW ME, NAOMI? DON'T THINK THAT FOR ONE INSTANT YOU CAN SIT THERE AND THINK THAT YOU KNOW HOW I WOULD ACT! AND AS FOR EVERYONE WALKING OUT ON ME LOOK AT YOU THE ONLY PERSON THAT YOU EVER CONNED INTO LOVING YOU WAS JACK AND HIS ASS WAS OUT THE DOOR THE SECOND HE GOT A CHANCE!"

I ran my fingers through my hair, my head was reeling, is that what Bobby really thought? "You know you're right I don't know you… I used to know you, until you left." I was no longer yelling but the acid was still dripping off of my words, "Is that how you do it, though? Before you can be walked out on, you do the walking?"

He started sputtering on his words, "You know what Naomi, fuck you! You keep running your-"

"Bobby!" Jack was standing in the door frame, "I don't think that is necessary." Jack reached into the room and grabbed my hand, "Come on you're going downstairs."

"But-" I protested.

"No buts. Come on."

Against my will I was pulled from the room, "Why do you keep doing this to me? You won't let me fight!"

"Because I don't want you getting hurt." Jack said flatly as we went down the stairs.

"What's the matter Imoan?" Bobby called out the room, "When Jack is around you can't run your mouth? Because you don't want him to see what you are really like?"

I tugged against Jack's pull to go back up the stairs, "Why that mother fucker!"

"Oh, no, you don't." Jack tightened his grip on my arm, not to hurt me but to keep me from doing something irreversibly stupid, "Down stairs we will talk about this in the living room. Besides, I already know what you are really like. So don't worry."

I gave in and to the living room I was led.

"Now, calm _and_ rationally, tell me what is bothering you… Like a stable person." Jack tried to lighten the mood… it really didn't work.

I was pacing the living room as Jack sat on the couch, trying to calm me down.

"I just don't understand how he could just let her go off on her own like that, all upset and stuff!" I fumed.

As Jack sat on the couch, he watched me as I went from one end of the room to the other, "Maybe he thought it better for his health if he did…"

"He deserves to get the crap kicked out of him by her after what he did."

"Does what he did have anything to do with the reason why you locked yourself in the Volvo earlier?" Jack pried.

"Maybe…" I didn't look at him.

I heard Jack get up from the couch; he walked over to me and grabbed my hand, "Mimi, whatever it is you can tell me."

"I think it's better for my health if I don't tell you." I gave him a half smile, "Lilly would kill me if I told anyone."

Jackie gave me a look of disbelief, "Do you really think I would tell her if you told me?"

"Yes, well, at least not on purpose."

"Come on, just tell me and I promise you that I won't let it slip." Jack pleaded; he was a ham for gossip.

I gave him a doubtful look, "Only if you promise to not leave without telling me again."

"Alright, alright I promise." He sounded sincere at least.

"Thank you." I gave him a shy smile.

"So what is it?" He nagged.

"Ok, pushy. You know how Lilly had a son, right?" I started nervously.

Jackie nodded.

"Well you know what happened to him, right?"

Again Jack nodded.

"And how his dad left?"

"Will you just cut to the chase, Mimi?" Jack said impatiently.

"Well, who is the only one that Lilly has actually ever been in love with?" I asked.

"That's easy, Bobby."

"And who left her?"

"Bobby."

"So therefore the father of Robbie must be…" I hinted.

"Bobby." Jack answered immediately, "Bobby? Really, Bobby is the father?"

I nodded slowly, "Uh-huh."

"Holy shit! I'm an uncle?" Jack asked shocked, then became sad, "Well… was…"

"Yeah…" I was instantly sullen too. Jack grabbed my hand to comfort me and I half smiled at him.

"Hey, but it will be ok." Jack offered words of comfort, "Evelyn told me once that I was with family and there is nothing that family can't help you pull through. And well, Mimi, you and Lilly are with family."

"Yeah…" Then my smile was genuine and happy.

My moment of reassurance was interrupted by the sound of keys hitting lock of the door.

Jack and I both looked at each other and said, "Lilly!" together, before we both made a dash for the front door.

We got lodged in the arch between the entryway and the living room.

"Jack! Let me through!"

"No I was here first." He teased.

"No you weren't we were both here at the same time! That's how we got stuck!" I played back. Much to Jack's disappointment I still remembered his weak spot. I managed to reach the back of his neck and gave it a slight tickle. He wiggled and squirmed in a weird manner to try and get away from me, in the process he dislodged us and I instantly bolted for the door.

I heard a grunt of disappointment from Jackie and smirked to myself. I ripped open the door. To my surprise there was a very attractive young man with my sister slung over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, "Woah, when did Clark Kent move to Detroit?" I eyed the whole situation, it seemed superhero enough.

He chuckled a bit, "No, no, Clark Kent, your granddad told me to bring her home."

"Yeah but why is she naked?" I looked at my sister, "Well, half naked."

"She said she was too hot."

I nodded, "Makes sense I suppose." I backed away from the door so that the man carrying my sister could come in, "Sooooo… What's your name?"

"Danny." He said with a charming grin, which caused Jack to glare, which I dually noted, "On the couch here?"

"Uh, yeah that's fine." I replied, "I'm Naomi by the way. Lilly is my older sister."

"Byesss Dannyss and thanksss." Lilly muttered from the couch. It was audible and understandable to those that knew her, but I was pretty sure that Danny didn't understand. I was just surprised that she was still conscience.

"I'll walk you to the door." I said with an embarrassed smile. Danny followed me, "Thanks again. I really appreciate it."

"It's not a problem, anything to help my boss's granddaughter." Danny chuckled.

"Oh, so you work at the pub?" I laughed, "That would explain why you didn't touch her… How much did she drink anyway?"

"I'm not completely sure but it had to be way beyond the legal limit." Danny said dead serious.

"I believe it." I let Danny pass me and head out on the porch, he handed me the things that Lilly had removed.

"I just don't know how she could get that naked in this amount of cold." I took the things and bundled them in my arms, "Uhhh, where is her bra? You aren't keeping any souvenirs, did you?"

"No!" Danny said quickly, "You can search me… If you don't believe me."

"Maybe another time." I smiled and heard Jackie clear his throat behind me.

I said my goodbyes to Danny then shut and locked the door. Jack was staring at Lilly.

"Do I have to beat someone up or something?" He asked her. He was sweet, and Bobby would have been proud of his little brother for being so protective.

"Lilly? We're going to take you upstairs ok?" I said it in question form but I really didn't mean it to be a question. I liked to make her feel that she had an option when she was drunk.

She of course protested in mutters, then rolled over into the couch and fell asleep. Jackie laid a blanket over her.

Bobby came rushing down the stairs, "Who was that guy that was just here?"

"Lilly's taxi." I answered simply, "Since somebody didn't find out where she went."

"Lilly is a big girl she can take care of herself." Bobby said defensively.

"Oh, I have no doubt about that." I agreed, "But there are certain instances where she needs you- or somebody!" I shouted.

"She was mad and wanted to be alone." Bobby shot back.

"Of course she would say that but that isn't what she means!" I yelled, "God! Don't you know anything about her?"

Jack shifted nervously behind us, "Hey, I don't think the shouting is necessary…" His voice was nervous.

"Butt out of it, Fairy." Bobby threatened while pointing at him, "You apparently don't think anything is necessary."

"Hey, don't yell at him because you are an idiot." I automatically felt defensive.

"An idiot? I'm an idiot?" Bobby said in disbelief.

"At least you can admit it." I smirked.

"You know what Naomi; you say another fucking word and I swear I'm going to put your lights out." Bobby crossed the line.

"Bobby, you won't lay a hand on her." Jack defended me more assertively than before because Bobby actually finished the threat. We both knew that Bobby wouldn't actually hit a woman but he didn't have to threaten.

"It's ok, Jack, he hits me and it's another thing to add to his fucking War and Peace sized rap sheet." I snarled.

"Go ahead run your mouth Naomi," Bobby glared, "and Jack, you watch… I will hit you." He lied, when they were kids Bobby used to pick on Jackie, but unlike with Angel and Jerry, Bobby never actually hit Jack. Jackie's past is what kept him from doing it.

"Leave him alone." I growled at Bobby.

Bobby made a move towards Lilly; I stepped forward in between them, "What are you doing?"

"I'm taking her upstairs." Bobby said, "I want to get her into a real bed."

"Bet you do…" I glared but stepped aside.

Bobby used his thick arms to pick my sister up and cradle her, "Why is she naked?"

"She got hot…" I answered, "Half of the block now knows what she looks like topless…Thanks."

Bobby glared but moved to the stairs, "It won't happen again, I moan." He then carried her upstairs.

"God! He is such a douche bag." I turned to Jackie, "I wanna fucking hate him but I can't because when he says shit like that I know that he's telling the truth."

"I know…" Jack shuffled his feet.

"Listen, I'm sorry for yelling…" I walked over to the 6'2" man that unknowingly owned my heart and grabbed his hand, "Bobby just gets the better of me and I can't keep myself from yelling at him."

"I know…" His eyes shifted to the floor.

I grabbed the front of his hoodie and pulled him down so that I could give him a kiss on the cheek, "Jackie, for you I will try to control my temper… Try… Is the least I can do."

He grinned, "I know it's that Finnegan temper."

"That's right."

Bobby was upstairs with Lilly for some time, I fought the urge to go and get him away from her… I didn't even want to think of the dirty things he was doing to my sister's coma induced body. Jackie helped me by putting in a movie and sitting on the couch with me. He held my hand the entire movie and occasionally played with a strand of my hair. The whole situation left me completely confused on where we stood.

When Bobby came bounding down the stairs, Jackie quickly let go of my hand, "It's alright, Jackie-O, you don't have to let go of Imoan for my sake, I could feel the sexual tension from upstairs."

"Are you sure it was us or was it your own?" I shot back, as Jack took hold of my hand and gave it a little squeeze.

"You said you would try." He whispered in my ear.

I hung my head and muttered, "Sorry."

"Good, you finally got her on a leash." Bobby smirked.

I looked at Jack pleadingly but he just shook his head, "Damn it."

Bobby went to the kitchen to get himself something to eat as Jack and I finished the movie.

I yawned so hard I actually think that my chin touched my collar bone.

Jack lazily looked over at me, "Sleepy?"

"Obviously."

"Smart ass." Jack groaned as he got up from the couch, "Come on." He held out his hand for me to take it.

My arm felt like it weighed five-hundred pounds as I reached out for him, he leaned forward and caught my hand.

"Up we go." He gently pulled me to my feet and helped me up the stairs.

On the landing I looked back at Lilly's room, "Well, I guess this is where I say goodnight."

"Yeah." Jack turned to go into his room then stopped, "Wait, Meems, did you want to sleep in my room tonight since Lilly is in Bobby's?"

Ok… this was a judgment call. I want to go in his room, Lord knows that is what I want, but then again what if staying in his room lead to other things and those other things are friendship destroyers? Fuck judgment, I would just have to implement self control, "If you don't mind."

"I wouldn't have offered if I did."

God, I can be such a moron sometimes. Most frequently; whenever Jack was around.

He took my hand and led me into the room of the house – other than the living room – that I was most familiar with. Jack swept his clean clothes off the foot of the bed to make room for me to sit, "Your clothes are in Lilly's room aren't they?"

"Yup." I nervously clapped my hands together, "It's ok, and I can sleep in this."

"Don't be ridiculous." Jack dug around in the pile of clean clothes that were now lumped on the floor; he found a t-shirt and a pair of boxers, "If you don't mind you can wear these. They're clean."

"Ok." I took the items of clothing off of him and looked the shirt over, it was our band's shirt; The Spares, "Wow, you still have this?"

"Yeah, I'll have that thing till it falls apart." He chuckled.

"Awesome. Me too." I pulled my shirt over my head, "Girl's clothes are really uncomfortable to sleep in."

"I figured as much." Jack's eyes showed his lack of self control but his voice never faltered. He turned around like a gentleman so I could take off my bra and he wasn't ogling me – which I wouldn't have minded, but I wasn't going to tell him that –

I let my bra hit the floor and pulled The Spares shirt over my head and slid my arms in the respectable holes, I then wiggled out of my jeans and slid on the pair of Jackie's boxers, "Ok, I'm decent."

Jack turned around, "You were before."

I blushed, "Thanks. So is that bed as comfortable as I remember it?"

"Still the same." He flopped his tall body on the bed, then patted it, "Super comfy."

"I don't doubt you." I instantly climbed into his bed and buried myself under the covers to hide from the winter draft that managed to slip in through the window.

"Cold?"

"V-v-very." I shivered a bit, course I always did.

Jack held his arms open, "Come here?"

I snuggled into him and he engulfed me with his arms.

"Better?"

"Much." I smiled contently.

We laid there in silence for a few moments allowing sleep to take us, one more blink and I would have been out but then Jack's groggy voice broke the silence."What exactly is your deal with Bobby… I mean other than the pretty obvious reasons?"

"I really don't have a problem with him, it's more of I don't want him repeating what he did before. I don't want my sister to hurt again. I know EXACTLY what she went through with Bobby and I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy." I snuggled closer to him, the way I used to before he left.

"Meems," Jack sighed, "I said I was sorry."

"I know. But what makes you think you're so special that I won't give you a hard time about every now and then?" I laid my head on his chest and smiled up at him. "It's what I do."

"Fair enough," Jack sighed, "I suppose I deserve that."

"Sure do." I smiled into his chest and sighed.

I was nearly asleep, Jack actually had fallen asleep and was mildly snoring, when I heard the stairs creaking, Bobby was going to bed. Or so I thought. From the familiar creaks in the floor I could tell that he went to Lilly's room. Why would he be going to Lilly's room if Lilly was in his room… unless… Bobby hadn't taken Lilly to his room. Maybe he wasn't such a chauvinistic pig after all.

Bobby was only near Lilly's room for a minute or two before I heard him pass Jack's bedroom door to go to his own room. When I heard the door click shut I let sleep take me into my dreams.


	5. Chapter 5

**Naomi's P-o-V-**

I woke up late the next morning. Jack was already out of bed which didn't help my paranoia that something happened – even though nothing did other than cuddling and sleeping – last night to put a time-bomb on our friendship. I stretched out my back and rolled over in his bed and checked the surroundings. I felt like I was eighteen again and this was all happening for the first time. It didn't help that Evelyn hadn't changed any of the boys' rooms after they moved out.

I loved this room. But, eventually, I talked myself into getting out of the bed I would have wanted my casket to be made of by flinging the covers back, exposing my legs to the drafty room. I sat up and stretched again. When I stood I wobbled after I took a few steps I was fine. I went to my jeans crumpled on the floor and dug my cell phone from out of them. Jack's door creaked loudly as I opened it. How had he managed to get out without waking me up?

I started my decent down the stairs. I went through the motion of going to the kitchen and got a drink, I don't actually think that I was fully awake, even at that point. Jack was in the kitchen having a cup of tea and a bowl of cereal, Bobby was sitting across from him.

"Moanie, enjoy yourself last night?" Bobby drank from his coffee cup; black – no sugar, no cream – the grossest thing since feta cheese.

"Oh, come on Boobie, it's too fucking early and you know that neither of us are on top of our game." I poured myself a glass of apple juice.

"Yeah, man, leave her alone." Jack dipped his color changing plastic spoon into his cereal – it was his favorite – "She slept in my room last night because Lilly was sleeping in your room."

"No, she didn't." Bobby and I spoke at the same time.

"What?" I don't know if Jack-o-Lantern was more shocked that Lilly hadn't been in Bobby's room or that Bobby and I agreed on something.

"After you fell asleep; I heard Bobby come up the stairs." I explained, "He went towards Lilly's room for a minute, presumably to check on her-" I looked at him to see if there was any discrepancies, "then he went to bed."

"That's less than what I can say for you two?" Bobby eyed his brother.

"Nothing happened, Bobby." Jack sounded resolutely.

"If you say so." Bobby chuckled, "It might not have physically but something did happen last night."

"Ok, Dr. Phil." I rolled my eyes, "I need a cig."

From above us; almost exactly, the three of us could hear movement. There was a chance of it being any of the remained occupants of the house; I didn't recall seeing Angel or Sofi for a few days. I hope that they hadn't fused together from all the friction and were now upstairs starving to death as Siamese Twins.

When the person approached the stairs, the possibilities of who it could be was reduced to two, all the men in this family seemed to gallop down the stairs as if they were trying to go straight through to the basement. The person walked lightly on their feet.

Lilly descended the stairs, her hair tangle, and she covered her eyes when she walked through any stray panels of sunlight that snuck through the blinds. Yeah, she was probably going to have a headache today. So I poured her a cup of coffee – vanilla creamer and four sugars - and got her two Excedrin tablets. I set the coffee on the table and the tablets next to the coffee mug.

"Wearing Bobby's jersey, are we?" I grinned at Bobby, who I could see from where I was standing, then grinned at my sister. As indifferent as Bobby tried to be it was very obvious at least to me that he was still in love with Lilly. I may not absolutely agree with Bobby or his decisions or the he way comes to his decisions but if Lilly loved him there had to be a decent person in him deep, deep, deep, **deep**, down.

"Yeah, I know I can't resist such a sexy little number after last night, that Danny is one hell of-" She was interrupted by a knock on the door, "Oh shit! Someone, can you get that?" Lilly was suddenly aware of how much of her legs she exposed by wearing Bobby's jersey.

Jack and I looked at each other and both darted for the door, again struggling to get passed one another. Again, I won out and pulled open the door.

The mailman was standing in the doorway with Lilly's bra held up between two fingers, "I, uh, found this in the, uh, mailbox. It doesn't have proper postage so I can't quite mail it, Sorry?"

I looked at the mailman in horror, and tried to hold back a giggle.

Jack, who was standing behind me, was able to contain himself took the bra, "Thanks, that won't happen again. Bye, have a good day." He closed the door on the confused mailman.

The door closed and I began to laugh until my sides hurt, "That thing is completely stiff! So, that's where it gotten too?" I continued to laugh, I couldn't stop.

Suddenly Bobby was in the entryway, "Jack, why was your sexy little bra in the mailbox?"

"It's not mine, but if it was it would look damn good on me, if you don't mind me saying so. Naomi?" Jack giggled and so did I, but my giggle was fueled by the mental image of Jackie in my sister's bra. He held the bra out to me, assuming that it was mine.

"Yeah, I don't mind you saying so but that's not mine its way too nice-" I said through laughter but suddenly stopped, I didn't want Bobby to know that Lilly had been that ridiculous to put her bra in the mailbox, it would embarrass her too much, "Uhh, wait! It is mine… I was, uhh, trying to send it to Ethiopia to feed the starving children with flies on their eyeballs!" I had lied horribly.

Lilly came into the entryway as Jack said, "But Mimi, that isn't your size."

Quickly, I jabbed Jackie in the stomach with my elbow to signal him to shut up, then tried to pull the bra out of his grip as he held it up, he didn't let go right away.

"Nice try, Imoan but I know that bra." Bobby was trying to hide the annoyance in his voice.

"Hey, whoa, I have been looking for that I wondered where it had gotten to. Wait, how do you know that bra?" Lilly looked at Bobby accusingly.

"Well you like black with colored designs on them and dangly stuff off the middle. And this one fits the mold." Bobby's voice had a slight edge.

"And her boobs, apparently." Jack added still on his laughing kick.

Jack and I made our escape into the kitchen and out the back door for a cigarette; away from the ticking time bomb. Halfway through my cigarette my phone rang, it was Lilly.

"Lilly, aren't you just up stairs? What is it?"

"Yes, Naomi I am upstairs, I need you up here so I can converse something to you without prying ears like Jackie-Poo." There was something different about my sister's tone, usually she was either mad or depressed after arguing with Bobby… but she didn't seem to be mad, she actually sounded like she was plotting something.

"Yeah, but give me a few so I can finish my cigarette first, kay?"

"Yes, I'll see you up there in a bit then, ok? I'll be in my room or the bathroom."

I hung up the phone after her, and then looked at Jack, "Something is going to happen… Lilly is on the war path… I can tell by her voice."

Jackie gave a look that said that he was thrilled but not at all.

I tossed my cigarette into the snow and heard it fizz out. I then went back inside the house and upstairs, I crossed paths with Sofi on the stairs, we muttered greetings. I bounded into the bathroom, "So, what is so important thaaa…- Why are you dressed, uh, like that?" I eyed Lilly. She looked nice but I was extremely confused as to why.

"Well, I have decided that it was time for me to stop being quiet. I am not going to be a door mat for other people. The old me is back!" She spoke to the mirror as she continued to gussy up, then turned and to exit the bathroom.

I stopped her before she could leave the room, "Good for you, now, let me be there when he, I mean, they get a look at you, this is going to be priceless." We walked out of bathroom with a confidence in our steps. I quickly ducked into Lilly's bedroom and got changed into my most revealing but not slutty outfit, then rejoined my sister in the hall before going downstairs.

I followed my sister into the Kitchen where Jackie was busy basting the turkey and preparing the rest of Thanksgiving dinner.

As Jackie's head was in the oven he caught a glimpse of Lilly and me, "Holy shit! Mimi, Lilly, What are you wearing? It's….nice?" Jackie was stunned.

Jack was looking Lilly over a little too much, it made me feel uncomfortable. She went back to helping him cook and he closed the oven door.

"Naomi, where's the cornbread? I thought we got cornbread." Lilly was tearing through the cabinets like the Tasmanian devil, "We have to have cornbread. We'll just have to go to the store again. Naomi, are you coming with me?"

We left the kitchen and were pulling on our coats when Bobby and Angel came in from outside; yelling. Sofi quickly came down the stairs.

Bobby picked up his hockey stick and put a ball on the ground as he was yelling. Jerry was just sitting there watching the fight loving every moment of it. It was a normal thing to have any of the Mercer boy's fighting at one point or the other. Angel was trying to get Bobby to let Sofi stay for thanksgiving but all Bobby was doing was insulting and yelling all forms of no But then he said something that hit home for Lilly and me.

"This ain't no homeless shelter…" It rang through my ears and I know it stabbed Lilly's heart. So Bobby planned on kicking us out? Technically we were homeless.

Angel took Sofi outside and Lilly struck, "Really, so that's what you are going to do, is it? Just throw me and Naomi out on the street? We have been here since before you came back, and now of all times you are going to do what, hey get your stuff and get out? What is wrong with you?"

Bobby tried to clarify but Lilly was already at the door and outside. I looked back at Bobby and shook my head, "I know you hate me but is that really a reason to kick Lilly out?" I too turned before Bobby could say anything.

We got into the van and started to drive… Lilly didn't speak until we got to the last red light before the general store, "Hey, what happened to your eye? Was it Fowler?" It was amazing how Lilly always knew shit. She really didn't have to do much detective work though. Fowler was about 40% of her problems anyway. I told her what had happened with Fowler and the deadly peanut butter jar.

Lilly laughed at me as she threw the van into park. We looked out the windshield at what store we had stopped at, I knew Lilly hadn't done it on purpose and that it was out of habit. It was Evelyn's crime scene.

Lilly and I entered the store and Maschur greeted us, the counter that he was behind had been replaced. Maschur rushed around the counter. He stared apologizing as he rounded the counter, though Lilly stopped him.

She said that it wasn't his fault and gave her condolences for his nephew – I did as well even though I didn't know him as well as Lilly - before asking about the cornbread, which he obliged.

I was shocked when he told us that he wasn't charging us then wished us a Happy Thanksgiving.

We returned to the Mercer home…the car ride was silent. Though no words were discussed in the Van, a silent vow was made to not tell the boys where we went. Even though Bobby wasn't being his kindness, neither of us thought it would be human to bring Evelyn's tragedy on Thanksgiving.

"IT'S THE GEORGOUS LADIES OF WRESTLING; NITRO AND MIDNIGHT!" Bobby's voice boomed from the living room like an announcer. "Get him Jerry, get'em!"

That was enough to get my curiosity peaked. Lilly and I edged our way to the Living room, trying not to disturb the spectacle in which we could have been watching, if Bobby didn't forget the cornbread. To be honest though I really wasn't sure if it was Bobby's fault or not but he seemed like the most likely candidate for blame.

I walked past the archway to the living room, trying to be inconspicuous about my curiosity, as I used my peripherals I saw Jerry and Angel tangled together on the floor. Jerry seemed to be winning. As funny as it would have been to sit and watch two Mercer boys act like they were children again by reenacting their favorite wrestlers' signature moves, I had a much taller Mercer to tend to.

"Hey," I said as casually as possible to announce my presence in the kitchen, "Jerry and Angel are all over each other in the living room and Bobby is watching."

Jackie slowly turned and looked at me from the oven, where he was basting the turkey- and wearing Evelyn's oven mitts- his face was highly confused.

"That didn't sound right did it?" I frowned at my own inability to be casual around Jack.

Jack stood, "Not at all, Mimi." He took the mitts off and laid them atop the stove, "Turkey is done." He turned off the oven as he gave me a smile, and I could tell that he was proud of his poultry perfection.

Jack always cracked me up when he started talking about cooking, he had a passion for it but he never quite seemed like he would fit the part of culinary artist. It was one of his many talents but it was the least used because Lilly normally did the cooking. He learned to cook from Evelyn. When we were younger, before he left, he used to talk about cooking dinner with her, and he used to talk about her cookies. Oh, Evelyn used to make the most divine cookies I have ever tasted.

She used to tell him that if he kept up with his cooking she would teach him the secret recipe. I never did find out whether he earned the secret or not, "Jack-o-Lantern?"

"Hmm?" Jack said in a natural casual tone, that I envied, "Wait- you haven't called me that since we were kids."

"Is it too kid-ish?" I pulled my eyebrows together and my mouth pulled down in a frown.

Jack gave the chuck part of a chuckle – a noise I always found adorable-, "No, I actually kind of missed it. It's a better nickname than Fairy."

I couldn't stop a smile from spreading across my lips, "At least you take it in stride." I moved to lean against the kitchen counter and closer to Jack.

"Not by choice."

"Keep your chin up, Buttercup."

Jack rolled his eyes before flattening his expression, "What did you want to ask me?"

"Oh yeah, right." I was so lost in how well the conversation was going I nearly forgot, "I wanted to see if you wanted any help."

"Well, there isn't much left to do." Jack looked around the kitchen, and even instinctually checked his pockets for something for me to do, "Oh! There is the salad."

I narrowed my eyes at him, I knew what was coming next.

"There isn't any possible way that you could screw that up." Jack laughed, "I remember the time you tried to help Mum and me."

And there it was, whenever I was in the kitchen –even if I was nowhere near the stove- the 'incident', as the boys liked to call it, was brought up.

Evelyn and Jack were in the kitchen one night. Jack and I were both around fifteen at the time and he, having Evelyn, had many cooking lessons. Whereas Lilly and I, who were hardly ever home with our own mother, because our mom was always at work, didn't have much experience. Mom was a hard worker; working two jobs.

I was the least interested in cooking and the least talented, though because Jack showed interest I thought I would try. Bobby was in my boat when it came to cooking, so in fact we were probably tied for last place. Lilly had also been taking lessons with Evelyn and was a more apt pupil than me.

Though that night that Evelyn, bless her kind heart, allowed me to help her and Jack with dinner. I had a simple job; peel and cut the potatoes into French fries, put them on a cookie sheet, place them in the oven, and not hurt myself in doing so. Ha! They should have known better than to ask that of me. It was my jinx, anytime someone told me to be careful I, without fail, managed to injure myself in my quest for safety.

Well, I managed to peel the potatoes and cut them without any injury! Naomi – 1, Potatoes – Zilch! Putting them on a cookie sheet was a cake walk. Evelyn even let me set the temperature on the oven. She instructed me to be careful when I was putting the fries in. Again, another victory, which brought the score to two and oh. I felt confident with my French fry making abilities; I thought I was doing well. When the timer went off with a loud buzz indicating that the fries were finished baking, I grabbed a pot holder and opened the oven door.

I didn't anticipate that I wouldn't be able to pull the hot tray with the sizzling fries out of the oven –safely- with one hand. As I started to pull the tray from the rack, Evelyn's finely tuned "Mom-senses" began to tingle;

"Naomi, dear, remember to use both hands." Her voice was loving, she hadn't realized that I had already started the procedure wrong.

I looked back at her briefly, "Don't worry, I got-" I felt the tray start to tip to one side and I could hear the fries starting to slide off. My head snapped around and I could see them sliding off the edge of the cookie sheet and tumble down towards the rack and beyond to the glowing orange coils. The fries were turning the tables and gained a point.

I gasped and out of instinct reach out with my unprotected, free, hand, realizing a second too late that it was going to hurt… bad. I caught the edge of the cookie sheet flesh against my palm at an angle that went from the bottom most pad of my index finger, clear across my palm, and to the pinky side of the heel of my palm. At first, I have to admit, I didn't feel any pain.

Evelyn turned around when I cut my own sentence off. Her gasp caused Jackie to turn away from his hamburger preparation and yell at me; "No, Mimi!"

It was too late, I could feel the cookie sheet cooking and melting my skin. I automatically threw the sheet into the oven and started my yelps of pain at the same time, some of my skin was still visibly attached to the edge of the cookie sheet, which made my stomach flop. Fries score again, bringing the score to a tie.

The fries scattered to the bottom of the stove, covering the insanely hot coils with their potato-ness. Jerry, Angel, and a untamed Bobby, filled the doorway to the kitchen.

"Mom, what happened?"

"Not now, Jerry." Evelyn drug me over to the kitchen table, my hand in hers; palm up, so she could examine it.

"Mom, is she going to have to get it cut off?"

I started to cry harder when I heard Angel's question, my hand hurt bad already, how much worse would it be if they cut it off?

"Angel!" Evelyn scolded.

"Sorry, mom."

Evelyn turned away from my hand and shot Angel a look I couldn't see but it made him squirm and say, "Sorry, Naomi. Hey, it doesn't look that bad."

"What are you talking about, Angel, it looks like the top half is going to fall off!"

"BOBBY!" Evelyn said exasperated, "Stop it!"

"IT LOOKS LIKE ITS GOING TO FALL OFF?" I wailed through sobs.

"No, honey." Evelyn tried to reassure me, "Jack, get the dish towel and wrap it around some ice."

Jack's face was pale, and I knew it was bad, but he nodded and did what he was told.

"That's right, Jackie-poo, fetch."

"ROBERT! You can go to your room and once I get this taken care of we are going to have a very long talk, just because you are going to eighteen in a week does not mean that you can completely forget how I raised you." Evelyn's voice was that of a mother at her wit's end.

Bobby rolled his eyes and mumbled, "I don't know why Imoan is being such a baby, it's just a burn." Before he headed up the stairs to do what his mother told him to.

I took deep breaths and exhaled at almost a whistle, trying to calm myself and block out the pain, my breathing did neither of those things.

"Shh, calm down, Naomi, it'll be alright." She held my shaking hand in hers, her voice was calming. I was almost at the point of not crying, that was until I saw Jackie.

He had filled the dishtowel with ice alright and it was scary. To my injured hand the terrycloth looked as if it might as well have been sand paper, the ice inside caused it to be lumpy and there was an occasional dangerous looking jag-gity edges of ice that jutted out further than the rest. He handed the towel to his mother.

My face scrunched up with apprehension as I eyed this dangerous, yet simply innocent, torture device. I yelped a small noise of protest and swallowed hard before fear took control and my uncontrollable crying began anew.

"Come on, Naomi, let me just rest it on your hand, it will make you feel better, I promise." Evelyn tried to coax me but I was having no part of it.

I, with very little difficulty, pulled my hand out of hers and cradled it to my chest, "Noooo." I cried in a deep and hitched exhale.

"It will help." She held out her hand for mine.

I shrugged away from her, my hand hit my chest, sending blinding pain through my entire arm. My fight hurt me more than if I had just let her put the stupid ice towel on my hand, but it had just looked so evil.

"Mum, let me try." I barely heard Jack's voice over my slightly embellished sobs.

"She's not going to let you." Evelyn warned her sensitive son.

"Just let me try?" Jack looked at her with a small earnest look.

Evelyn only thought about it for a second, she was more worried about me rejecting his help and hurting his feelings than him hurting me. She knew that he would be as gentle as he could be, "Alright." She handed him the ice sack back.

"Mimi?" Jack used the tone that he would later figure out was my weakness and that he would use against me countless more times to get what he wanted.

I turned away from him, I felt betrayed, and Jack was now wielding the Evil Terrycloth of Doom and in my pain induced hysterics that made him a traitor. The enemy.

I felt his hand cup my uninjured hand, telling me that I could trust him without words. We had always silently communicated this way. "Come on, Naomi. Mum's right it will help."

I turned and glared at him, his betrayal cutting deeper, "It's going to hurt more."

"Do you trust me?" Jack locked his blue eyes with my green ones, I couldn't look away.

I nodded slowly.

"Alright, now give me your hand." He demanded.

Begrudgingly, I sacrificed my hand to the Evil Terrycloth's tyranny. I watched in horror as Jack allowed the cold terrycloth to loom over my painfully gross wound. I held my breath.

The cloth grew closer.

I squinched my eyes shut.

Ever closer.

My eyes snapped open before the cloth touched my indescribably painful burn and my arm jerked back towards my body from reflex.

"Naomi, do you want them to really have to cut it off?" Jack scolded.

I shook my head with determination.

"Well, that's what's going to happen if you don't let me help you." His eyes wore a glare.

My eyes widened and I mustered the strength to shove my hand towards him, "Just do it." I said it as if he was about to perform brain surgery without an anesthetic or like he was the one that was actually going to cut my hand off.

"Ready…O-"

"No…" I whimpered and shook my head again, but kept my hand still.

"On three." Jack continued, ignoring my interruption, "One…Two-" He placed the Arctic towel on my burn, "…Three."

I hadn't even felt him do it because he caught me off guard, "Hey! You said on three! That was on two!"

"You would have pulled your hand away if I did it on three." Jack said matter-of-factly.

"Wouldn't have." I protested.

Jack arched one eyebrow with a look of disbelief.

"Ok, maybe." I admitted to at least a maybe.

"I suppose being in denial is better than full on lying." One of Jack's hands gently cradled my injured one, his fingers gently wrapped around my wrist, and his other hand held the dishtowel gingerly on my wound.

It was that day that I noticed how beautiful his hands were.

When I pulled myself out of my memory, I was staring at my own hand and the noticeable scar that was left that day. I looked up and saw that Jack was wiping his eyes, at first I thought that it was because he was crying, and I was partially right, he was crying but not because he was sad. He was laughing so hard that it caused him to cry. I realized that he too had traveled back to that day.

"And then the fries caught fire in the stove." He let out a staggered laugh, "Angel thought the house was going to burn down and if Mom hadn't been on the phone with your Granddad, Jerry would have called the fire department!" Jack gasped.

Yes, the fries won the game and they had the intent of taking the house with them.

"There is nothing funny about that day." I pouted, not wanting to admit there actually was, "I was really hurt."

"I took care of you, didn't I?" Jack's smile was so cute.

"Yeah," I said bashfully as I looked down at the toes of my shoes and shuffled my feet, "you did… with deceit." We both laughed.

Jack got the salad mix out for me and I added the cherry tomatoes –which Lilly would end up picking around-, cucumbers, and carrots. Jack supervised my chopping, which I found a little unnecessary, but it was pleasant to have him standing so close behind me as he craned over me to foresee any cutting incidents.

The salad was prepared and I came out unscathed.

I smiled up at Jack and felt accomplished, "All done and look!" I held my hands out in front of me and wiggled my ten digits, "I don't need any band-aids." My voice did a little squeak on aids.

Jack gave me a distant smile, he leaned his face closer to mine.

My heart fluttered, this was it. At least I hoped so.

His line of sight changed to the side of my face, "How did you get carrot in your hair?"

DENIED! "I don't know." I shrugged trying to hide my disappointment.

"Only you." Jack said sweetly before he cupped my cheek in his hand.

I brought my hand up to rest on his, "What?"

"Can be so clumsy but somehow pull it off." His lips met mine.

My heart raced.

I found it hard to breath.

At first it was awkward, but then we fell into our old rhythm. Our old rhythm turned into passion, passion that held want and need with a hint of longing. His hand slid from my cheek, to my shoulder, down my arm to hold my hand, his other hand came up to rest in the crook of my neck and making sure that my lips didn't part from his.

I snaked my arm around his waist subconsciously pulling him closer to me. Somehow we roamed slightly in the kitchen because I was suddenly aware of the counter pressing into my lower back. Our mouths parted briefly and we both panted for air before we re-attacked each other's face.

Jack let my hand go and held onto my hips with both hands, I got the hint, and I hopped as he lifted, sitting me on the counter and the kissing continued, with more intensity than before.

I found myself wrapping my legs around him and Jack rested his hands on my thighs.

My stomach was fluttering and my head whirled; Dear God did I miss this!

Jack broke away from me but not out of my grasp, "Wai' wai' wait. Dinner…" His voice was husky and his breathing was heavy.

"Yeah." I said breathing just as hard, "Thanksgiving isn't really one we could skip is it?"

Jack gave a small laugh as he shook his head, "No."

"Damn it." I glared at the oven which held my new foe, the turkey. I vowed to not only refuse to eat him but to not even look at the picture perfect corpse that he was. As amazing as he looked and smelled I would not break my 14 year run with Vegetarianism. When I was eight I found out what Hot Dogs were made out of, thanks to Bobby… He was an ass.

Jack bopped out of the kitchen, "Lilly, Bobby, Jerry, Angel, dinner is ready." He came back in and gave me a slightly awkward smile.

I returned it and as he opened the oven; panic hit me like a brick wall. What was the awkward smile for? Did he regret kissing me? Did he think that we were moving too fast in the make-out department? Did he think it was weird that we were being that frisky in the kitchen? Even I thought it was a little more risqué than Angel and Sofi's laundry room.

I watched Jack as he skillfully removed the turkey from the roaster and placed the twenty-eight pound turkey effortlessly on the serving plate. I fought with myself to say anything to him, half of me wanted to know but the other half of me didn't want to get hurt by what he might say.

"Jack?" Fuck you, curiosity.

He turned around at the sound of my voice, "Yeah, Mimi?"

"Are you weird about what just happened?" I fiddled with my fingernails nervously and chanted a prayer of 'please don't hurt me again… please don't hurt me again…'

I heard him exhale through his nose, I dare didn't look up to see his expression. I heard him move to the kitchen table.

Don't look up, I told myself; his face will only bring you disappointment.

Then I felt his curled index finger under his chin, the one with the ring on it- the ring that I had given him- He lifted my face, "Mimi, look at me." He cleared his throat, which was a nervous habit of his, even if his face didn't hold any sign of it.

I allowed myself to look at his face. I could feel my palms sweating, my nerves were shot.

"I never regretted anything I've done with you." Jack gave me a lingering kiss on the lips.

"Come on, man, let's eat. Bring out that bird!" Bobby called from the dining room.

Jack handed me the salad bowl, "We better get this stuff out there before Bobby start chewing on your sister."

"Ah, now see that was a good insult. Why don't you ever use those ones on your brothers?" I teased playfully – relieved of all panic… for the moment at least.

"Very funny." Jack said dryly.

"Oh, by the way, what happened to your tongue ring?" I had noticed it missing when we were playing tonsil hockey.

"I don't want to talk about it." He spoke quieter than he had been and I knew I hit a fresh wound and I knew who caused it; Bobby.

"Shame. I liked it." I gave him my sweetest smile before going into the dining room, salad in hand. Jack followed me out with the turkey; he had apparently set the rest of the meal on the table while Lilly and I were gone.

I sat the bowl in the center of the table and to my great surprise Angel pulled my chair away from the table in true gentleman fashion. As I began to sit, a flash of what had transpired in the kitchen forced it way to the front of my thoughts, I felt that heat wave of excitement crash over me. I instantly felt embarrassment which was only intensified when I almost missed my seat because of my dirty thoughts.

Angel gave a small snort of laughter. Damn it… he saw it…

Lilly locked eyes with me…Damn it… she saw it too…

I scanned the rest of the table to see if there were any more witnesses to my blunder. There were none. And that is what I was thankful for.

We all stood, held hands, and Bobby lead us in Grace. I briefly noted that Bobby the Bruiser of our herd and the one, who was roughest around the edges, led us in prayer. It just seemed like it would be unusual to anyone looking in on us without knowing us but to our family it seemed normal.


End file.
